July 2023 – Praying Pint

46.s. “Wilderness” – 10.y. “You gave your good Spirit to instruct them”

Num 11:17  And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

2 Kings 2:9    When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask what I shall do for you, before I am taken from you.” And Elisha said, “Please let there be a double portion of your spirit on me.”

Nehemiah 9:20   You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst.

Isaiah 44:3   For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.

Isaiah 59:20-21    “And a Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who turn from transgression,” declares the LORD.  “And as for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD: “My Spirit that is upon you, and my words that I have put in your mouth, shall not depart out of your mouth, or out of the mouth of your offspring, or out of the mouth of your children’s offspring,” says the LORD, “from this time forth and forevermore.”

John 7:39    Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Romans 8:9     You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.

1 Corinthians 2:12    Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.

Jude 1:19   It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit.

And I will take of the spirit which is upon thee; the spirit of government, and the spirit of prophecy, the gifts of the spirit qualifying for these things, of which Moses had a large measure. and will put it upon them; that is, gifts of the same kind with his; not that his gifts were diminished, or that properly speaking anything was taken from Moses and given to the seventy elders; but from the same fountain and fulness of the spirit Moses partook of, they were furnished with like gifts and qualifications, he having not at all the less for what was communicated to them. (Gill)

Will put it upon them, i.e. I will give the same Spirit to them which I have given to thee. But as the Spirit was not conveyed to them from or through Moses, but immediately from God, so the Spirit or its gifts were not by this means impaired in Moses. (Poole)

By “taking the spirit of Moses, and putting it upon them,” is not to be understood that the qualities of the great leader were to be in any degree impaired but that the elders would be endowed with a portion of the same gifts. (Brown)

The elders must have the same heart, the same vision, and same Spirit that was on Moses. If not, there would be no agreement among the leadership of the nation and disaster could come to Israel. (Guzik)

There is but one Holy Spirit of God. God gives the Holy Spirit to all who believe and in this gift of the Holy Spirit we are given gifts (attributes) of the Holy Spirit that will edify , teach, guide, inform, cultivate, improve, encourage, instruct, and uplift believers. Not everyone is give the same gift(s). It is not up to us to pick the gift we wish we had or hoped for but rather to trust and rely on God’s sovereignty and perfect plans and purposes.

Why then is their division, grumbling, and unrest in bodies of believers? Is it because the Holy Spirit of God has lead them into these acts? No, it is because there is an overwhelming neglect of God’s Word in the lives of the believers that quenches the Holy Spirit in their lives. How is the Holy Spirit to grow and deepen your understanding of the things of God when there is no desire for the Word of God in your heart and mind?

Pathway to Victory – Devotional

Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
–Psalm 100:3

God has a divine plan for everything. But we will never trust God’s plan until we understand that His timetable is eternal. Solomon understood this. He wrote in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.”

We have an innate understanding that this world is not all there is. But even though we know there is an eternity out there, we still have a hard time fathoming God’s plan. Why is that? Look at verse 14: “I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him.” God refuses to give us an explanation for every horrible thing in life so we can learn to fear Him.

What does it mean to fear God? It is not cowering in terror; it is a reverential awe for God. A respect that leads not only to obedience but also to trust. A realization that God is God, and we are not. He is more powerful than we are, He is wiser than we are, and He has a plan, even though we cannot understand what that plan is. It is the same kind of respect for God you find in Psalm 100:3: “Know that the Lord Himself is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.” When you have an awe, a respect, a reverence for God, only then can you really trust His plan.

A businessman was getting ready to board a plane, but he was fearful of flying. He was scared about the weather; he was scared that the plane might not be in good mechanical order. So he was telling the ticket agent that he might back out of the flight. Suddenly another man came up to the counter, and he explained to the businessman that there was nothing to fear–there would be no bad weather, and the plane was in good working order. The man listened to the stranger’s words and boarded the plane. What caused him to trust that stranger’s words? He was dressed in a captain’s outfit. And even though the businessman knew nothing about aerodynamics or meteorology, he trusted that the captain of the plane knew more than he did.

It is the same way with us. The key to trusting in God’s plan is to believe God is wiser than we are, that He knows the end result of our situation because He has planned the end result. A right relationship with God is key to trusting God’s plan.

Consequences – Turning Point Devotional

And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”
2 Samuel 12:13-14

One of the hardest but most valuable lessons for children to learn is that there are consequences for their sins. Sins may be forgiven, but the impact of the sin does not disappear with forgiveness. If an older child willfully breaks a toy belonging to a younger sibling, the guilty child can be forgiven, but there will be a consequence. He will have to use his weekly allowance to purchase a replacement toy. Mercy is the biblical term for not getting the punishment we deserve. But mercy does not do away with consequences. Even though God is “longsuffering and abundant in mercy,” He reserved the right to visit the consequences of sin on future generations (Numbers 14:18). Even though David was forgiven for his double sins of adultery and murder, the consequence of his sins would be the death of the child conceived in immorality.

Mercy spares you from punishment. But it doesn’t always spare you or others from the consequences of your sin.

We are free to choose, but not free to choose the consequences of our choice.

46.r. “Wilderness” – 10.x. “So that you may not bear it yourself alone”

Num 11:16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Gather for me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them, and bring them to the tent of meeting, and let them take their stand there with you. And I will come down and talk with you there. And I will take some of the Spirit that is on you and put it on them, and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, so that you may not bear it yourself alone.

Moses was not to pick men whom he thought might become elders; he was to pick men who were already known as elders because of their wisdom, conduct, and ministry to others. Elders are made by God but recognized by men. The elders must have the same heart, the same vision, and same Spirit that was on Moses. If not, there would be no agreement among the leadership of the nation and disaster could come to Israel. (Guzik)

We do not have to look very deep into our memories to find a time when we were overburdened by something or someone. The thoughts that come to mind during these times are varied but one thing is for sure, they are felt, they hurt, and they may feel justified. It may seem as if there is no way to get on the other side of this burden. It looks so big and overwhelming that it blocks out all hope of life becoming better. I don’t know how to describe it any better but surely you can relate to it. In these overwhelming burdens, there is no rest except for what is found in trust and reliance on Jesus Christ. Resting in Him is the only rest that can satisfy your soul. He is the all-powerful, ever-present, and all-knowing creator of all there is. Nothing is hidden from Him. He knows all of your burdens and says, “Cast your burdens upon Me” and I will give you rest for your soul.

46.q. “Wilderness” – 10.w. “The anger of the LORD blazed hotly”

Num 11:10 Moses heard the people weeping throughout their clans, everyone at the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD blazed hotly, and Moses was displeased. Moses said to the LORD, “Why have you dealt ill with your servant? And why have I not found favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this people on me? Did I conceive all this people? Did I give them birth, that you should say to me, ‘Carry them in your bosom, as a nurse carries a nursing child,’ to the land that you swore to give their fathers? Where am I to get meat to give to all this people? For they weep before me and say, ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to carry all this people alone; the burden is too heavy for me. If you will treat me like this, kill me at once, if I find favor in your sight, that I may not see my wretchedness.”

The childish weeping of the people not only angered the LORD; it also displeased Moses. This frustration drove Moses to God, and he complained that he could never meet the needs of so many people. Moses responded to God the way many of us do in a time of trial. He essentially said, “God, here I am serving You. Why did You bring this upon me?” It’s easy to say God did not bring this upon Moses – a carnal and ungrateful people did. Yet, though God did not directly afflict Moses with this, He ultimately allowed it. God allowed this for the same reason God allows any affliction – to compel us to trust in Him more, to partner with Him in overcoming obstacles, and to love and praise Him more through our increased dependence on Him and the greater deliverance He brings. For these reasons and more, God sometimes appoints affliction for His people. Understanding that the job of leading Israel was too big for Moses was good. It could lead him to rely on God, and not try to do the work apart from God. Moses could not bear all these people alone; God will do it in him and through him. In a sense, God wanted Moses to see his wretchedness – his inability to do what God called him to do in his own strength. As the Apostle Paul later learned, God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. (Guzik)

Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families,…. So general was their lusting after flesh, and their discontent for want of it; and so great their distress and uneasiness about it, that they wept and cried for it, and so loud and clamorous, that Moses heard the noise and outcry they made every man in the door of his tent: openly and publicly, were not ashamed of their evil and unbecoming behaviour, and in order to excite and encourage the like temper and disposition in others. The anger of the Lord was kindled greatly; because of their ingratitude to him, their contempt of the manna he had provided for them, and their hankering after their poor fare in Egypt, and for which they had endured so much hardship and ill usage, and for the noise and clamour they now made, Moses also was displeased; with the people on the same account, and with the Lord also for laying and continuing so great a burden upon him, as the care of this people. (Gill)

Do you ever find yourself complaining because of wanting something you don’t have or wanting more of something you do have? There are always things of this world that will entice us to covet them. There will be times that we aren’t tempted by it and other times out of the blue we are just acting childish before God with our selfish desire(s). We are told to make our requests to Go, but let us be sure they are in line with His will and purpose and our hearts are not seeking worldly pleasure over service to God.

Will Graham Devotion

Luke 23:39 -43. Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

The cross means different things to different people. For some it’s just a pretty piece of jewelry. To others it’s a decoration for their home. To Christians it is a symbol of the sacrificial love of Christ and His conquering of the grave.

However, to criminals under Roman rule in the first century, and those who witnessed the punishment, the cross was a symbol of torture, cruelty, death, and humiliation.

We can learn a lot from a man on a cross. This individual’s name is only known to God. We find this man—a criminal sentenced to death—hanging beside Jesus in Luke 23:39-43.

The first lesson that we learn is that he had a correct view of reality (Luke 23:40-41) and a correct view of himself. He saw himself as a criminal who was rightly condemned for the deeds he had committed. He correctly realized that he deserved death.

Further, he had a correct view of Jesus. He recognized Jesus as the spotless Lamb of God and he testified to this while hanging on the cross. He knew he was a sinner, and Jesus was innocent.

The second lesson that we learn is that this criminal had a correct view of life after death. Though he was sentenced to death and hanging to life by a thread, he believed that his soul would continue to live after he died.

Many people today live as if this life is all there is, but the Bible says that your soul lives forever and that it will abide in one of two places—heaven or hell (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:5; John 3:1-21).

Finally, we see that this criminal had a correct view of salvation (Luke 23:42). He saw himself as totally helpless. He could do nothing to improve his odds in life or save himself. He was now bound to death and could not escape. Yet he cries out to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

He wanted to offer the last thing he had to give (his soul) to Jesus. He realized that Jesus was the Son of God and that he wanted to be a part of Christ’s kingdom.

The criminal on the cross: he knew who he was and who Jesus was, he knew that his soul would continue after he died, and he knew that Jesus was the Savior. He could do nothing but cry out to Jesus and place his faith in Him for his salvation.

To which Jesus replied, “Today you will be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

Have you seen the world through the eyes of this condemned criminal? Do you understand your need for the Savior, and—more importantly—have you looked to Him for your salvation? If not, visit PeaceWithGod.net to learn how you can have the hope of eternity with Jesus.

If you have made that decision, look for opportunities God puts in front of you to share that same hope with those around you. Jesus saved the criminal on the cross, and He wants to save each of us as well.

46.p. “Wilderness” – 10.v. “Strong craving”

Num 11:4 Now the rabble that was among them had a strong craving. And the people of Israel also wept again and said, “Oh that we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt that cost nothing, the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic. But now our strength is dried up, and there is nothing at all but this manna to look at.” Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its appearance like that of bdellium. The people went about and gathered it and ground it in handmills or beat it in mortars and boiled it in pots and made cakes of it. And the taste of it was like the taste of cakes baked with oil. When the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell with it.

Man, having forsaken his proper rest, feels uneasy and wretched, though prosperous. They were weary of the provision God had made for them, although wholesome food and nourishing. It cost no money or care, and the labour of gathering it was very little indeed; yet they talked of Egypt’s cheapness, and the fish they ate there freely; as if that cost them nothing, when they paid dearly for it with hard service! While they lived on manna, they seemed exempt from the curse sin has brought on man, that in the sweat of his face he should eat bread; yet they speak of it with scorn. Peevish, discontented minds will find fault with that which has no fault in it, but that it is too good for them. Those who might be happy, often make themselves miserable by discontent. They could not be satisfied unless they had flesh to eat. It is evidence of the dominion of the carnal mind, when we want to have the delights and satisfaction of sense. We should not indulge in any desire which we cannot in faith turn into prayer, as we cannot when we ask meat for our lust. What is lawful of itself becomes evil, when God does not allot it to us, yet we desire it. (Henry)

Oh that our cravings were fueled by a deep desire to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Our hearts would not complain but rather “REJOICE”.

46.o. “Wilderness” – 10.u. “And the people complained”

Num 11:1 And the people complained in the hearing of the LORD about their misfortunes, and when the LORD heard it, his anger was kindled, and the fire of the LORD burned among them and consumed some outlying parts of the camp. Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the LORD, and the fire died down. So the name of that place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

Here is the people’s sin; they complained. See the sinfulness of sin, which takes occasion from the commandment to be provoking. The weakness of the law discovered sin, but could not destroy it; checked, but could not conquer it. They complained. Those who are of a discontented spirit, will always find something to quarrel or fret about, though the circumstances of their outward condition be ever so favourable. The Lord heard it, though Moses did not. God knows the secret frettings and murmurings of the heart, though concealed from men. What he noticed, he was much displeased with, and he chastised them for this sin. The fire of their wrath against God burned in their minds; justly did the fire of God’s wrath fasten on their bodies; but God’s judgments came on them gradually, that they might take warning. It appeared that God delights not in punishing; when he begins, he is soon prevailed with to let it fall. (Henry)

Unaccustomed to the fatigues of travel and wandering into the depths of a desert, less mountainous but far more gloomy and desolate than that of Sinai, without any near prospect of the rich country that had been promised, they fell into a state of vehement discontent, which was vented at these irksome and fruitless journeyings. The displeasure of God was manifested against the ungrateful complainers by fire sent in an extraordinary manner. (Brown)

murmuring complaining spirit is always displeasing to him, when a thankful heart for mercies received is an acceptable sacrifice; murmurers and complainers God will judge at the great day, and the Lord heard it: though it was an inward secret complaint, or an evil scheme formed in their minds; at most but a muttering, and what Moses had not heard, or had any knowledge of; but God, that knows the secrets of all hearts, and every word in the tongue before it is well formed or pronounced, he heard what they complained of, and what they whispered and muttered to one another about it and his anger was kindled. (Gill)

Every single thought of man is known by God. What is it that fills your mind and moves you down paths that are away from God? What thoughts do you entertain and allow time in your head? When we allow ourselves to be consumed by things of this world they will surely implant wrong thinking and actions. Set your heart, mind, and soul on honoring and glorifying Jesus Christ in all you think, say, and do, and your thought life will manifest words and actions that honor and glorify Him.

46.m. “Wilderness” – 10.s. “The Journey Begins”

Num 10:11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, and the people of Israel set out by stages from the wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the wilderness of Paran. They set out for the first time at the command of the LORD by Moses.

As the cloud began to move, one might imagine the huge sense of excitement that flowed through the people. This marked the start of their departure from Mount Sinai and their journey to Canaan, the land promised to their forefathers and to them. This was the first time Israel marched as an organized, prepared nation. They were not the same group that escaped Egypt as a mob.

i. They had been fully prepared to walk as Promised Land people and it was all focused towards this exact point: bringing them into the Promised Land:

· They had become ordered and organized (Numbers 1-4).

· They had become cleansed and purified (Numbers 5).

· They had become set apart and blessed (Numbers 6).

· They learned how to give and how to function as priests (Numbers 3 and Numbers 7-8).

· They were made to remember judgment spared and deliverance brought (Numbers 9).

· They had God’s presence as a guide and the tools needed to lead the people (Numbers-10).

One would be tempted to think that after such extensive preparation – a virtual transformation from slave people to Promised Land people – the actual entering into the Promised Land would be easy. This was not the case. The preparation was exactly that – preparation. Ahead of them were the greatest challenges, challenges that could only be met by faith. To use an example, a soldier might think basic training finishes something – but it doesn’t. It only prepares for a greater challenge, the actual battle itself. (Guzik)

After the Israelites had continued nearly a year at mount Sinai, and all was settled respecting their future worship, they began their march to Canaan. True religion begins with the knowledge of the holy law of God, and humiliation for sin, but we must go on towards perfection, in acquaintance with Christ and his gospel, and those effectual encouragements, motives, and assistances to holiness, which it proposes. (Henry)

46.n. “Wilderness” – 10.t. “So they set out from the mount of the LORD”

Num 10:33 So they set out from the mount of the LORD three days’ journey. And the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the LORD was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp. And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, “Arise, O LORD, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” And when it rested, he said, “Return, O LORD, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”

As they begin the journey to the Promised Land, they were guided by God’s presence, not by their own sense of direction. They followed the cloud no matter where God led them. If they were to camp in a rough place, they did it. If they were told to depart from a comfortable place, they did it. They allowed themselves to be guided by God, not by their own wisdom or desire for comfort and ease.

The idea was simple: “God, go before us and take care of our enemies. It’s too dangerous ahead unless You do this.” This is a fitting prayer for every believer to pray, and that faith here displayed gives the sense that Canaan would soon be theirs. (Guzik)

Spurgeon also saw this as a good prayer for the front-line missionary and the one laboring in difficult places: “Are you serving God in some particular work where many are seeking to undo all that you can accomplish? Are you a City Missionary, and do you labour in the midst of a den of iniquity? Does it seem that what you do in one day is undone in one hour by others? Take it to the throne of grace. Say, ‘Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered.’” “Will you and I go home and pray this prayer by ourselves, fervently laying hold upon the horns of God’s altar? I charge you, my brethren in Christ, do not neglect this private duty. Go, each one of you, to your chambers; shut your doors; cry to him who hears in secret, and let this be the burden of your cry – ‘Rise up, Lord; and let thine enemies be scattered.’” (Spurgeon)

God is honored and glorified when we trust, rely upon, obey, follow, and humbly serve Him without reservation.