As believers, if there is one thing we need to remember, it is to not break faith with God. That may be a term you're unfamiliar with but over the next few weeks, we'll learn more about it and how not to commit this sin that God considers a great offense.
Today, we examine the story of Moses & his brother Aaron. Both were chosen to wield God's power for others to see. Neither man was perfect and yet, God continued to use them starting with making them leaders of the Israelites when it was time for them to leave Egypt. They maintained their positions for 40 years. Yet, neither entered the Promised Land with the people they had shepherded for that period.
The reason was because they broke faith with God. Moses and Aaron had been given a specific set of instructions on how to produce water when the people complained because there was none. Unfortunately, he failed to carry out that directive and even took some of the glory that belonged to God for Aaron and himself, saying, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” (Numbers 20:10).
Here was God's assessment of Moses and his brother in Deuteronomy 32:51 - For both of you broke faith with me among the Israelites at the Waters of Meribath-kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin by failing to treat me as holy in their presence (CSB). The CEV puts it as such - Both of you were unfaithful to me at Meribah Spring near Kadesh in the Zin Desert. I am God, but there in front of the Israelites, you did not treat me with the honor and respect I deserve. Further understanding can be found in Numbers 20:12 - But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me to demonstrate my holiness in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” (CSB).
These verses clarify what it means to break faith with God. It means to dishonor Him in what we say and do in the presence of others. It's about what your mouth says about God and who He is. It is about what your actions and choices say about God's power and might. This is particularly the case for those who have seen God do things in their lives. Those who are to be witnesses to His abilities. For them to publicly fumble in times of uncertainty is to break faith with God.
This does not mean that there will not be times where your faith is shaken. After all, Prophet Elijah with all His experiences with God fled from Jezebel in fear. He, however, never spoke or displayed that fear to others whereby they would see God as less than the I Am that I Am. He did not publicly diminish God. Other great men and women of God struggled to believe He'd come through but they had a responsibility to carefully walk through that struggle without blemishing God's name. This is why Apostle Paul warns in 2 Peter 2:21 - For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered unto them. He also tells those who believe in Christ to not crucify Jesus again by returning to the world and thereby subjecting Him to public disgrace (Hebrews 6:4-6).
In the moments when we struggle with our faith, we need to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ. We need to pour out our fears to God as well - tell Him (as respectfully as possible) exactly how you feel, none of it is a surprise to Him anyway. We need to turn to the word and use it to build ourselves up. We have to look to our Jericho Moments and remember what God has done for us in the past. We must be careful to not blaspheme or slander the Lord in speech. We should also be cautious to remember that others of even weaker faith could be negatively influenced by our reactions and keep them in mind because of the love we have for them.
None of this is easy to do. It requires God's children to be intentional about how they react to situations when things don't go the way they desire. They can't leave this to chance. It is possible to be in a tough situation and not break faith. In fact, I believe that God builds up our 'reaction muscle' over time so we eventually become the children who manage their emotional response and don't break faith with God the way Moses and Aaron did.
Today's message isn't to castigate anyone or make someone feel sad. It is to enlighten us all on how to react when things go wrong especially since we all have such experiences. Everyone who believes in God and His Son must remember that God will put them through things to build us up in Him. It won't always be pretty. He is also very merciful to keep teaching us so we get a passing grade and the devil won't be able to use the same old tricks to trip us up. God wants us to honor Him even in the tough moments. He will give us people to help us through those times and He Himself will be right by our side. We just have to hold on to His hand, mindful to not publicly disparage or dishonor Him.
In the mighty name of Jesus, I pray that none of us will break faith with God. That in our challenges, we will find strength in Him to keep going, anticipating His word in Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Amen.
God bless you richly and I hope to see you at Noon EST when we'll gather to worship the Lord and pray for His people everywhere. During the last 10 minutes of fellowship, we'll collectively pray to be those who don't break faith and don't give the devil room to gloat against our God. See you then.
FINAL MESSAGE
Do come back on Tuesday, when we'll look at High Priest Ezra as we continue to learn how not to break faith with God.
The Lord bless and keep you until we meet again.
CLOSING PRAYER
Great God. Marvelous God. You are our Wonder Worker. Thank You for being the God who calls us unto Himself. The Faithful One who guides us every step of the way.
Thank You for kindly bringing us together to learn about You today. Thank You for teaching us through the experiences of Your great servants Moses and Aaron.
Thank You for the opportunity to pray and ask for Your great help that we will not replicate the mistakes they made. Good Lord, thank You in advance for answering that prayer.
Thank You as well for the privilege of worshiping You as a group. Thank You for the opportunity to imitate Jesus and thereby intercede for others. We trust that our prayers and praises reached Your hearing. May they also be a sweet-smelling incense to You.
We look forward to answered prayers for our prayer subjects and thank You for spending time with us this day. To You be all the glory and the praise forever! Amen!
LAST 10 MINUTES
The experience of Moses and Aaron should be a lesson to not allow our emotions (anger, doubt, fear) tempt us into dishonoring the Lord publicly. It goes without saying that we shouldn't dishonor Him in private either.
We have got to let God help us to become people who honor Him in good and bad times. That we start making choices that give Him the respect He deserves no matter how we feel. This is far from easy and that is why we need God's help to accomplish this. So why don't we ask for that help? God has told us to ask anything according to His will and He will surely hear us (1 John 5:14). What could be more in accordance with His will than seeking His grace and help to not make the mistakes some of His servants made?
Praise the Lord that despite those mistakes, God still honored Moses and Aaron. Although they didn't make it into the Promised Land, God let them know that they wouldn't - He kept them informed of His plans. And, their people mourned them as great men, not those who were despised by God.
That should be a reminder to us all that God's grace will always speak for His children. Meaning where we might have broken faith in the past, we can receive forgiveness and be restored to the Lord because Jesus died so that those who believe in Him are justified and saved, cleansed and made brand new.
So, let's pray, shall we?
God, You are the Almighty King. Thank You for teaching us not to break faith with You and potentially diminish You in front of others. We acknowledge that we have had our faith shaken and sincerely apologize for seeing You as less than capable. Lord, we repent for this sin and thank You for Your mercy and redemptive grace which sets us free from our iniquity via the blood of Jesus.
Today, Father, we call on You to set a guard over our lips and to help us guard our hearts that we may be careful to honor You in good times and in bad. To give You the glory and respect You deserve at all times. IJMN, Amen.
From BI - Lord, I pray for those with alcohol addiction. Lord, the devil has convinced Your children that they need alcohol and other substances to get through life on a daily basis yet we know that if God is all we have, we have all we need. Lord, break the chains of binge drinking and remind Your children of the purpose You have for them. I pray that alcohol dependency is replaced with God dependency. Be a light unto their paths. Show them the plans You have for them and the hope and future that is theirs as God’s children IJMN Amen.
God, You are He who never ignores the cries of the afflicted.
Father, I lift up Dr Ovwaere Diaso and her family. Lord, You see what happened to her. Lord, I confess I don't know what to say but I will call on You to help the loved ones left behind. Please God, comfort them. Grant them solace. Their dashed dreams, Lord...
God, I don't know how You will do it but I pray that the injustice this woman experienced as well as that endured by millions will not go unseen to You. IJMN, Amen.
Lord, from You do we get all good and perfect gifts. Thank You for being the God who gives good things to people. Your word makes it clear that You show mercy to both the righteous and unrighteous and for that I thank You, Merciful God.
Ezekiel 36:29-31 - I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine.
Heavenly Father, the world is experiencing inflation in food prices. Drought in some areas means there is limited rice for people to eat. Wars are limiting access to grain. The weather is hot in places where there should be rain and the crops shrivel. Corn production has been low this year in this nation. Farmers are struggling, people are struggling and access to food will potentially become even more of an issue in the months to come for many.
God, this sort of chaos is what the devil wants. You, however, want people to have more than they need according to 2 Corinthians 9:8. As such, I appeal to You, Lord. Look at Your word. Save people from their uncleanness for it is we humans who have cooperated with the enemy to defile the land and limit its productivity. But, You have promised to be merciful and compassionate. Let Your mercy and compassion speak, dear Father. We pray for grain, we pray for rain in season. We pray for fruit to grow robustly and the crops in the fields to sway, heavy with seed and food to Your glory. We pray for nations under high risk of famine - there are many, Lord. Mercy, Good God. We plead for mercy, IJMN, Amen.
Lord, God Almighty, You are the Maker of heaven and earth. The Creator of what we see and don't see. Your power is inexhaustible. Your strength is never ending. Your splendor and goodness endure forever. Hallelujah!
Joel 2:28 - “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
Father, today I lift up those in need of Your healing grace. Father, pour out Your Spirit on them just as You promised in Your word. For those who are carriers of Your Spirit have direct access to You. Jehovah Ropheka, the Healer of men. Pour out Your healing spirit into those looking to You for their healing. Stun them and others that they will testify to Your glory and it shall be known that You and You alone are God all by Yourself.
IJMN, Amen.
From BI - Lord, I place DT and the family of CS into Your comforting hands. Wipe their tears away and turn their faces towards You. Help them Lord to process their grief. I pray that those that are left behind remember the fond memories of their loved ones. God, You are ever so close to the broken-hearted, let the feel the warmth of Your love and grant them Your transcending peace IJMN Amen.
Father, You are the Most High God. King of all the earth, the heavens, the seas and everything in them.
Lord, I lift up Your word in Proverbs 13:12 - Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.
Father, You alone know the heart's desires of Your children. I call on You to remember Your promise in Isaiah 49:23, that those who hope in You will not be disappointed.
Fulfill their heart's desires in accordance with Your promises and Your word. Remember Your word that You will not deprive those who seek You of any good thing (Psalm 34:10). Give them the good things that You have placed in their hearts for them to desire. For those things they want that are not Your will for them, I pray they will receive Your understanding so as to let those things go and focus instead on what You want for them. IJMN, Amen.
From BI -
For Your mercy, protection, refuge, correction, blessings, grace, favour, shield, forgiveness, provisions, wonders, warmth, love, joy, comfort, transcending peace, discipline, blessings and so much more than I can count, Thank You! Thank You for being the God that does not sleep nor slumber. Thank You for choosing me to be Yours.
Hallelujah Hosanna in the highest!
PRAYER TIME
Let us pray for people right now. If there's an issue you are personally dealing with, consider using that as a prayer point for others.
You're not the only one experiencing that challenge, so ask God to help others in the same situation.
It is so important for us to pray for the needs of others. We are told to do so in 1 Timothy 2:1 - I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people
Now is the time to pray for others.
Lord, our eyes are on You! The God who never fails. Thank You for being the One who does it over and over again.
Praise be onto You, Almighty King!
Revelation 7:10 - And they cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”
Praise the Lord!
Hallelujah! God You are wonderful and I give You all the glory!
Hallelujah!
God, I praise You for Your mercy.
I thank You for Your patience.
All glory belongs to You, the King of kings and Lord of lords.
I worship You for Your protection and the grace You mete out.
Hallowed be Your Holy Name!
From BI - El Shaddai
Adonai
Jehovah Jireh
Righteous One
El Roi
Yahweh
Elohim
Alpha and Omega
Living Water
The Great I Am
Lord of hosts
Lord of armies
Lion of the tribe of Judah
King of kings
Dependable God
The great Shepherd
Rock of ages
My Abba Father
You are all and more. Thank You for all You have done for me, all You are doing in my life and all You are going to do in my life. There is none like You. Thank You Baba God for breaking every yoke and chain and removing every chaff from my life. Thank You for taking off the old Garnen and replacing with the new. You are wonderful and so good to me. Thank You Thank You Thank You.
PRAISE TIME
Do you know what time it is?
It's PRAISE TIME!
Glorify the Lord everyone and make a joyful noise!
From M22 - Grateful for another P and P. Today's message is worth reflecting deeply on. The devil tries to set us up to disrespect God but he has failed. I pray we never take God's grace and forgiveness for granted. I also pray that we continually know how to dialogue beautifully with God so we can pass across our feelings and frustrations without disrespecting him or his presence. IJMN amen.
From OG - "These verses clarify what it means to break faith with God. It means to dishonor Him in what we say and do in the presence of others... For them to publicly fumble in times of uncertainty is to break faith with God."
I have been guilty of this a number of times and I continue leaning on God who has saved me from a lot of trouble by increasing my discernment on what and whom to confide in.
Thank you @FFJ for today's message. It was a timely reminder. I am reminded of Hebrews 6: 4-6 that says that when those who were once believers fall away, they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. But further on in Hebrews 6:18, we are reminded that God is not unjust and, just like Abraham, we can hold on to His love and promises because of these two unchangeable things about God's nature: God's purposes are good, and God's oath is based on His character. It is impossible for God to lie.
Also, today is my birthday! Thank you Father for the gift of life, health, provision, protection, wisdom, grace and mercy. Thank you for never abandoning us even when we fail you.
Thank you Peppers for your fellowship, prayers and words of encouragement. May the almighty Lord restore and increase you, and I pray that you always find infinite favor with Him. IJMN. Amen.
From wldf - None of this is easy to do. It requires God's children to be intentional about how they react to situations when things don't go the way they desire. They can't leave this to chance. It is possible to be in a tough situation and not break faith. In fact, I believe that God builds up our 'reaction muscle' over time so we eventually become the children who manage their emotional response and don't break faith with God the way Moses and Aaron did.
This hit me so hard. Especially the difference between Moses and Aaron with the prophet Elijah. Their emotion was of anger and the other was fear. Neither is good and it just resonates with me that both emotions hinder how we see God and what we believe. I’ve been both Moses and Elijah ( probably everybody else in between).
Thank you for this revelation.