Every time I attempt to count my blessings, I get lost! Those who have been ‘drunk in the Holy Spirit’ describe themselves as being overcome by God’s presence and His love with the ability to speak in other tongues powerfully. Some report feeling like they have a new confidence and desire to preach to anyone about Jesus without any fear.
https://www.gotquestions.org/drunk-in-the-Spirit.html
Warning! “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: … drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19–21; “Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery.” Ephesians 5:18
Problems? Trials? Pain? Hurt?
Taken over by blessings problems fade away! I personally have left them at the cross of Jesus!
Thousands of years ago; Jesus was the worlds greatest Physician!
Jesus is the “Great Physician” according to Mark 2:17. He came to cure the sick and poor in spirit and to heal our souls and restore our relationship with God. In his time on earth, to show his power not only did he heal spriits and of course provide “the cure” on the cross of the horrible affliction of sin, but he also healed many physical maladies, including death itself.
While he likely did more miracles than we even know, we do know about some of them as related in the Gospels.
Let me point to myself! Brain trauma, motor vehicle accidents, submersion in water (otherwise called drowning), brain surgeries (plural)… we could go on!
The most important thing is God is The Same yesterday and today and always!!! Do you change? IF something occurs on the grand scheme you do! But, Man has been Man from the first day of existence; we even fast forward to Jacob and his sons… The nation of Israel – HuMan – no different than other HuMans but adopted children of God. They had rules to follow; they experienced an AWESOME delivery from slavery and oppression from the nation of Egypt! Did that carry through? Nope! Yes! When they crossed the Red Sea they were shown The Glory of God!
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%2014%3A1-32%3A14&version=CEV
Yet! When they viewed the promised land, they balked!
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Numbers%2013&version=GW
Caleb told the people to be quiet and listen to Moses. Caleb said, “Let’s go now and take possession of the land. We should be more than able to conquer it.”
But the men who had gone with him said, “We can’t attack those people! They’re too strong for us!” So they began to spread lies among the Israelites about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored is one that devours those who live there. All the people we saw there are very tall. We saw Nephilim there. (The descendants of Anak are Nephilim.) We felt as small as grasshoppers, and that’s how we must have looked to them.”
And the people of Israel balked! We see the story of the 40 year trek through the wilderness! Hunger, thirst, snakes… Yet, God Loved them! Quail and manna – without spending a farthing. Water was provided! Here, note: Moses did have a temper!
“So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.” – Numbers 20:9-11.
One of the first people you think about in the Old Testament is Moses. Moses is mentioned 772 times in 710 verses in the Old Testament. And he is mentioned in 79 verses in the New Testament. Those numbers are second only to David. Moses is revered in the Bible. He had a front row seat to the signs and wonders God performed against Pharaoh, including the parting of the Red Sea. He received the 10 commandments from God on Mt Sinai. Moses protected, guided, taught, encouraged, rebuked, prayed for and was responsible for an entire nation through the good times, bad times and all the times in between.
So why didn’t Moses get to enter into the promised land? In chapter 20 of Numbers, Moses is attempting to lead the people of Israel through a desert, there is little to no water to drink and the people and the animals are all very thirsty. Moses goes to God and asks for help and God responds with a specific set of instructions with a limited number of steps: Take your rod; get your brother Aaron; gather the people before the rock, speak to the rock, give everyone a drink.
In Numbers 20 Moses lost his temper and struck the rock twice even though God had told him to simply speak to the rock. That act of anger cost Moses dearly. Numbers 20:12 says, “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” When you know the story behind all of that it’s pretty hard to blame Moses for getting upset. These people had murmured and complained the whole time. Nothing could please them. Miracle after miracle was not enough and Moses had been extremely patient with them. So he reached his breaking point and flew off the handle.
Rather than fully trusting God to handle the situation, Moses took matters into his own hands. When we try to fix situations ourselves rather than trust God to fix them we are prone to become frustrated and angry. It was not just the immediate frustration that got to Moses. It was the continual dripping of their complaining.
We all get angry. It’s unavoidable. There’s really no way to not get angry. Anger doesn’t want you to pause, it demands a reaction. It wants you to throw caution to the wind; say what you want to say and do what you feel like doing. The key is to deal with your anger…appropriately. When you detect anger in yourself, slow down, step back, zip up the lips and take control of your mind. Take some time to think about where your anger is coming from. What is causing anger in you? What started it? Also reflect on the consequences of your anger. What damage will you do to yourself and others if you let it go unchecked.
Then turn your disappointments, offenses, frustrations and hurts and the anger they cause over to God. Determine that you will do whatever is necessary to make sure that anger doesn’t control you. Forgive people. Accept disappointments and delays patiently, trusting God’s plan and timing. Try to let it go.
“Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper – it only leads to harm.” – Psalm 37:8.” (NLT)
We could go on… but Moses spoke to God as a friend!
But, there was a result! God Knows ALL, Amen.
In Deuteronomy 32:51–52 God gives the reason that Moses was not permitted to enter the Promised Land: “This is because . . . you broke faith with me in the presence of the Israelites at the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the Desert of Zin and because you did not uphold my holiness among the Israelites. Therefore, you will see the land only from a distance; you will not enter the land I am giving to the people of Israel.” God was true to His promise. He showed Moses the Promised Land, but did not let him enter in.
The incident at the waters of Meribah Kadesh is recorded in Numbers 20. Nearing the end of their forty years of wandering, the Israelites came to the Desert of Zin. There was no water, and the community turned against Moses and Aaron. Moses and Aaron went to the tent of meeting and prostrated themselves before God. God told Moses and Aaron to gather the assembly and speak to the rock. Water would come forth. Moses took the staff and gathered the men. Then, seemingly in anger, Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses struck the rock twice with his staff (Numbers 20:10–11). Water came from the rock, as God had promised. But God immediately told Moses and Aaron that, because they failed to trust Him enough to honor Him as holy, they would not bring the children of Israel into the Promised Land (verse 12).
So, when Led by The Spirit pray and follow The Leading verbatim.
And we pray:
Father LORD, my Creator, Reason and Purpose; I lay before Your Essence and beg You to forgive me for the times I have not followed Your Spirit verbatim. Father, wash me clean with The blood of Jesus. Renew in me a new spirit cleansed and moved to do, follow and practice Your will, Amen. Lead me, guide me, move me LORD. I am Yours; use me LORD, I beg You in Jesus’ my Saviors name. Amen.