Taking Our Frustrations Out On Objects

“They drank from the spiritual rock that went with them, and that rock was Christ.”
 “We shouldn’t put the Lord to the test as some of them did.”

In 1 Corinthians 10 these verses are speaking of God's people as they were being led by Moses.  God was imploring them to learn from others experiences. The old testement is filled with many trip, fall, fly experiences.  Christ came so that we could see the difference between doing life through "the best of our abiliy" verses "the best of God's ability".  Yet we still want to "do it OUR way!"  Why?  Believe me when I say I pose this question to myself as much as anyone else here.

Think about when Christ was in the desert being tempted. Satan suggested that Christ turn the stone into bread. Christ knew he had to trust the love of God, not test Him. He followed that by stating God’s word, “Man cannot live on bread alone but from every word that precedes from the mouth of God”.

I have often pondered and conversed with God about the reason Moses didn’t get to enter the promised land but only see if from afar. I believe that God desired him to exemplify that we are to converse through relationship, love. Striking that rock was a complex reaction. I think it probably stemmed from Moses’ frustration with the people and feeling a bit out of contol of the situation.  He was lashing out. He wanted to demonstrate power…But.his power or Gods?”

Think about this - Christ is our rock, through Him we are delivered, rescued, saved eternally for relationship.  If Christ is our rock would it be as if Moses was striking Christ himself?  That is a bit brutal to think - but it offers us a parallel.  To me,  that would make more sense as to why Moses was not allow to enter in. (But that could be way off base ya know- just pondering)

How would if feel to want to be seen as loving and giving, only for someone to make it look as though it took their brute force to MAKE you give it?  How do we act as though we are forcing God to give us something He was already going to freely give us?  I can only imagine how that must make God feel. There is no liberty or joy in that.

God tells us "where there is Christ, there is liberty". Gods idea of having Moses speak to the rock explaining God's love and provision while the water starts bursting forth would have been magnificent. . That being said, I cannot begin to wrap my mind around all the pressures that Moses must have been under. So I am going to just thank God for getting him through it all and allowing Moses to see the promise even if from a distance. Moses must have been elated knowing God had delivered them so he could get finally get some rest.

I pray that we not tolerate insecurity and pride, but that we allow His spirit to transform us as we walk through out the emotional reactions we subject ourselves, others and His kingdom to. May God be glorified as we trust in Him to provide as He sees fit and in His timing. Let us exemplify this rock as our altar - where we lay our ways of accomplishing things down to do it the way God has requested.  Knowing that by this - His life may pour out and all may come to the knowledge of His saving grace.

Enjoy this day….it is a gift directly from His hand. And you didn’t even have to force Him to give it to you, did you?
Kisses,
Candace