I was reading Numbers last night and let me tell you what I know...
- God is real.
- We have to learn how to be content.
- Watch your mouth.
As someone that gets a lot of joy from feeding Jesus' sheep, I try to be intentional about giving thanks to the LORD daily for everything He has done, He is doing, and for what He's about to do. But you know what's as equally important as expressing gratitude to the Father, humility.
See when God uses you to do His will on earth, it's easy to get puffed up and start to think that you're above correction or error. You might even start to compare yourself to other men & women of God in an attempt to make yourself appear more "anointed" or "powerful". It's all pride, which will eventually cause you to fall flat on your face or could even cost you your life, if you don't bring it under subjection to the Holy Spirit.
Take the sons of Levi for example. The LORD made it crystal clear what everyone's roles were pertaining to the upkeep and maintenance of the Tabernacle of Meeting. However, in Numbers 16, a Levite by the name of Korah felt that everyone within the congregation of Israel was holy and that the LORD was among them too, and he accuses Moses & Aaron of exalting themselves above the rest of the congregation. Now obviously I wasn't there to witness how Moses and Aaron conducted themselves as leaders within Israel (Aaron did act a fool while Moses was talking to God at the top of Mount Sinai though), but the scriptures make it clear that Moses was a humble man whom the LORD spoke to face-to-face (Numbers 12:6-8). So, I think it's safe to say that Korah was jealous of Moses and Aaron's relationship with the LORD.
"Then Moses said to Korah, 'Hear now, you sons of Levi: Is it a small thing to you that the God of Israel has separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself, to do the work of the tabernacle of the LORD, and to stand before the congregation to serve them; and that He has brought you near to Himself, you and all your brethren, the sons of Levi, with you? And are you seeking the priesthood also?'" - Numbers 16:8-10
I absolutely love Moses' response to Korah's accusation because he points out something that could easily be overlooked in this passage of scripture, which is that it's a privilege and a honor when God chooses anyone to serve Him because that means that He has allowed you to draw near to Him.
Your works don't make you qualified.
Your bloodline can't keep you where God placed you.
And your righteousness ain't all that right either.
We mustn't forget that God chose us before we knew Him, and if we choose to accept His invitation to do His will on earth, then we certainly shouldn't be out here acting like we have the right to do what we want when we want. We should be content in who we are and whose we are not coveting someone else's calling.
Be careful what you seek.
That's what I heard the Holy Spirit say as I meditated on Numbers 16 yesterday. According to the Strong's Concordance, the word seek means to require, desire, exact request. Therefore, what you seek indicates what you desire that's why it's imperative for us to surrender our desires to the LORD and submit our requests to Him too (Philippians 4:6-7). So, despite what you may see other people doing, good or bad, you have to believe in your heart that God knows what's best for you because He wants what's best for you. We should serve Him from a posture of thanksgiving and let our humility speak for itself.
