A sneak preview from my next book in the FROG Blog series (believing it’ll release early February!). Life on a Frozen Lily Pad.
In Numbers, the Lord met Moses at an intersection of famished and fed up.
Moses is in the desert, exhausted from leading an estimated 2.4 million murmuring Israelites filling him with hot air pressure. God extends His mercy and graciously supplies 70 elders and authorities for Moses’ trip to the Promised Land.
Numbers 11:17 displays a trifecta of God’s love. First, He comes from heaven to minister to Moses. I try to picture God stopping by my Martha and Mary Writing Studio. How would I react if He knocked on my office door to help write today’s FROG blog?
Second, the Lord transfers some of Moses’ spirit onto 70 faithful authorities. The text doesn’t specify if this spiritual transaction referred to Moses’ weakened spirit or to his spirit of anointed leadership. The crux is that some pressure was lifted from Moses.
Third, by receiving part of Moses’ spirit, 70 elders were promoted to co-manage a God-ordained task force. The elders’ commissioning package included approximately 2.4 million naysayers who were impatient to reach the Promised Land. The Numbers’ passage doesn’t indicate if those 70 authorities were part of the grumbling crew prior to being called to assist the understaffed Moses.
In my walk toward the eternal Promised Land, I have served on Team Moses through teaching and leading roles. I admit I’ve been involved with Team Israelite and “shared” my prickly witness. Like God did with Moses, He has been faithful to send people who shoulder my burden (and knock the burden chip off my shoulder). God’s physical presence appears through compassionate people sharing His generous love.
Jesus, thank You for showcasing Your presence through others. I’m grateful for wise mentors and elders who guide me toward You. Guard me against murmuring and complaining. Protect me from wilderness wandering so I can finish Your earthly mission with graceful testimony.
From an elevated lily pad,
Christina
I will come down and speak with you there. I will also take some of the spirit that is on you and will bestow it on them, that they may share the burden of the people with you. You will then not have to bear it by yourself (Num 11:17).