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Who cares who reminded you?
This week, I was reading in Joshua and found an interesting insight. Sometimes (like Joshua 20), the Lord Himself shows up and reminds Joshua of a command of the Lord (like establishing cities of refuge). In the very next chapter, a group of people shows up and reminds Joshua of a command of the Lord (cities for the Levites).
I was humbled and challenged by Joshua's godly response. When the Lord reminded him, he followed the command of the Lord. When people reminded him, he followed the command of the Lord.
How challenging! It would have been so tempting for Joshua to think "Well, if the Lord wants that done, He'll mention it the next time He comes and speaks to me face-to-face." Instead, he simply obeys God's command.
It reminded me of one of my favorite chapters in the Old Testament: Daniel 9.
Daniel is reading his bible, and reads about how long the exile is supposed to last in the book of Jeremiah.
Remember: Daniel is pretty much the most gifted vision/dream person in the whole bible. (O.K. maybe Joseph.) But the largest insight that he receives about the work of God during his lifetime comes, not through a vision, but through the words of another person.
Like we often say at Harvest, it's the MESSAGE not the MESSENGER.
May God open our ears to hear His Words spoken through His people.
1 comment:
I'm always dumbfounded by people who need "a word from God" to do what He's already commanded them to do in Scripture. If you haven't read Seizing Your Divine Moment you must! If I could summarize it in one catchy phrase, it would be this: Go unless He says no!
How difficult it is, though, to love your brothers and sisters with the Truth. "Who are you to judge what's right for me?" they say. "Take the plank out of your own eye!" they say. Of course, no human being's eyes are wholly void of planks. Which is why God tells us through Paul, "Submit yourselves one to another" and "Bear with one another with great patience". Oh, my dear friend, if only we would all crucify our pride and allow others to sharpen us. As it is, we cannot help but remain so dull!
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