This week I’m in Addis for seven days because we have half point debrief. In other words, my squad gets to take a short break from ministry and go to a different spot to debrief everything that’s happened so far in the race. Because we are in Addis, we get WiFi where we stay soooo I decided to post a blog for five of the seven days I’m here. On the fifth day, I will post three blogs to wrap it up and give you all more to read for when I’m back off WiFi. I figured because I haven’t been able to communicate to any of you in a while in detail, I can do it in blogs. Enjoy!
Blog 1 of the 5 days of blogs: “I am an Israelite”
Side Note: I love all of your comments on my blogs, thank you for all of the encouragement!! I’ve missed hearing form you all!
I think it’s crazy how God works. I randomly decided to read the story of the Israelites going through the wilderness. As I’m reading the entire story, God showed me so much through it. I normally thought that I just had to read the Old Testament because it’s still part of the Bible and I have to understand what happened before Jesus, but I’ve learned more from this story than I ever thought I could. I learned two things that changed my perspective about Moses and the people in the wilderness. The first one not a ton to say, but it’s still cool to think about. The second one, I have to force myself for your sake to only share the bigger parts of what I learned. This blog is going to be a longer one, but I figured you haven’t heard from me for a while so it’s okay.
As I read through the five books that went through the Israelites full timeline before they found the land of milk and honey, I was wondering what the purpose of the story was and why in the world it’s in the Bible. I was very bored of it and wondering what lesson was to be learned. This was right around Christmas time too, so I was wanting a different way of viewing the birth of Jesus and just how significant it is. I realized just how much Jesus’ life changed the way people did life.
Most of the hard rules and laws that the God gave Moses, Jesus changed. Jesus’ death took care of a lot of them and in the place of death for murder became forgiveness. Jesus changed the game. Numbers 15:35 says, “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘The man shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp.’” And Jesus did the exact opposite telling men that the person without sin can throw the first stone. I just think it’s kind of cool that God’s plan was always Jesus, and He knew that when He created all these laws and offerings and norms what Jesus would do instead. God knew Jesus’ life would shake the way people did things.
The second thing I learned, and the biggest thing from this story, is that I’m not very different from the Israelites. They left Egypt because they didn’t like the life they were living. God wanted to help free them from slavery and find the promise land. As they were in the wilderness, they didn’t like their living conditions anymore and wanted to go back. They wanted to leave, but then the Lord wouldn’t bless them for their hardships if they quit. It took them a while, but the Israelites kept trusting God to bring them to where He promised. It seemed to be taking forever, but all they had to do was listen and be still. God brought them through the wilderness to discipline them and teach them about His love and faithfulness and to trust Him. The Israelites eventually learned to listen to God and trust that He would do as He said when He promised to bless them with abundance in this new land of many good things. That’s all God wanted. He only wanted them to trust, listen, and love Him. He wanted their hearts.
I’m the same way. God brought me on this trip because the way I was living before wasn’t awful, but I could do better. I didn’t spend everyday with Him even though I’d like to think I did. I didn’t seek His counsel and only listened to my desires. Coming on the Race was all God, I still don’t know how I got here. I’m in a season of fighting the want to go home because it is hard (I’m not going to, just so you know). What I’m doing this year is a gift and it’s amazing, but not being able to have the comforts of home and family isn’t exactly easy like I wanted to think it would be when I first signed up. God showed me, through the Israelites, that all He wants is for me to trust and listen to Him. He’s taught me that I just need to be still and trust that the promises He’s said to me will happen when I’m ready. He’s just disciplining me right now like He did with the Israelites. He’s teaching me to hear His voice and seek His counsel. He’s teaching me to trust, listen, and love Him and others better. He’s teaching me to fully give Him my whole heart. I am an Israelite.
Here are some songs and lyrics from songs that added to helping me in this season:
“Run To The Father” -Matt Maher
“Oasis” -Kalley
“I will trust You in the process. I believe you God.”
“Why do I worry? You know what I need.”
These are Bible verses/portions of verses that the Lord showed me and I highlighted in my bible (to show you more of an understanding for what I learned.):
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” -Exodus? ?14:14?
“And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” -??Exodus? ?33:14-15? ?
“Then the Lord said: “…The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.” -??Exodus? ?34:10?
“You are to be holy to me because I am holy and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.” -??Leviticus? ?20:26? ?
“You shall clear out the old to make way for the new.” -??Leviticus? ?26:10
“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” -??Numbers? ?6:24-26?
“But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once, for we are well able to overcome it.” -??Numbers? ?13:30?. Be Bold & Courageous
“How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them?” -??Numbers? ?14:11?
“And when we cried to the Lord, he heard our voice and sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt.” -??Numbers? ?20:16?
“who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” -??Numbers? ?27:17?
“The Lord your God has multiplied you, and behold, you are today as numerous as the stars of heaven. May the Lord, the God of your fathers, make you a thousand times as many as you are and bless you, as he has promised you!” -??Deuteronomy? ?1:10-11?
“Then I said to you, ‘Do not be in dread or afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before you will himself fight for you, just as he did for you in Egypt before your eyes,” -??Deuteronomy? ?1:29-30?
“For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hands. He knows your going through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you. You have lacked nothing.” -??Deuteronomy? ?2:7?
“For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.” -??Deuteronomy? ?4:31?
“Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you.” -??Deuteronomy? ?4:36?
“but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” -??Deuteronomy? ?5:10?
“”For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.” -??Deuteronomy? ?7:6?
“And because you listen to these rules and keep and do them, the Lord your God will keep with you the covenant and the steadfast love that he swore to your fathers. He will love you, bless you, and multiply you.” -??Deuteronomy? ?7:12-13?
“And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. And he humbled you and let you hunger… that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord…the Lord your God disciplines you…For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land…in which you will lack nothing…” -??Deuteronomy? ?8:2-9? (very chopped up)
“And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all that you undertake.” -??Deuteronomy? ?12:18?
“And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house” -??Deuteronomy? ?26:11
“For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.” -??Deuteronomy? ?30:11?
“But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.” -??Deuteronomy? ?30:14?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” -??Deuteronomy? ?31:6?
“the Lord alone guided him” -??Deuteronomy? ?32:12?
“Only be strong and courageous.” -??Joshua? ?1:18
“Thus the Lord gave to Israel all the land that he swore to give to their fathers. And they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side just as he had sworn to their fathers. Not one of all their enemies had withstood them, for the Lord had given all their enemies into their hands. Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.” -??Joshua? ?21:41-45?
