Day 82: Overwhelmed by the Bigger Stuff

Matthew 27:32-66; Deuteronomy 7-8; Job 7

No matter who you are, a person who associates themselves with Jesus will have to face the burden of being a follower of Christ at some time in their lives.  Even Jesus faced ridicule, Simon had to carry the cross, and as Christ’s disciples we will have to also.  When it happens, don’t get discouraged; recognize that Jesus is with you and believe in the promises and hope of the Lord.

God commanded the Israelites to face people and situations that were bigger and more powerful than themselves.  However, God promised that he would be the one to overcome them, the Israelites would not be on their own.  I think God does the same thing today:  he calls us to face things that seem too much to handle, but somehow (by the grace and power of God), we are able to make it through or overcome.  Right now I’m feeling so overwhelmed with things I have to do; they are not important in the grand scheme of life, but they are a bit deal in terms of right now.  There are times when I get so upset and burdened, but I just need to have faith and hope that God will lead me through.

The other thing that is interesting about this situation that the Israelites find themselves in, is that God commands them to completely destroy the towns that they encounter.  There can be no compromise with sin.  Sinful things must be completely removed from our lives or God will be upset.  This really is a very loving thing:  sin has consequences, and God is simply trying to keep his people from consequences.   I pray that whatever sin we are compromising with in our lives, God would reveal to us, so that we can destroy it, rather than live with it.  The Lord promises good things if we obey him—healthy families, abundant resources, long life--because we aren't allowing sin to destroy them.

If a person has followed the Lord for very long, they realize that God does not always work at the pace we expect.  Sometimes it takes time.  God wouldn’t allow the Israelites to immediately wipe out their enemies, though that seems like the best and easiest thing.  Instead, God was thinking about their long term benefits, which required time.

Over and over Moses reminds the people of how blessed they will be for following God’s commands.  The reality is, often that doesn’t apply to this earthly circumstances.  Sometimes life stinks, but if it doesn’t, and things are good, Moses reminds the people not to be proud or forget what God has done for each of us.