Christian Living

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Obedience. Perseverance. Contentment. Difficult abstract qualities, yet ones that are imperative to living the righteous life that God is calling us towards. I love the complex, yet simple truth of Numbers 9:18-23.

"In this way, they [the Israelites] traveled and camped at the Lord’s command wherever he told them to go. Then they remained in their camp as long as the cloud stayed over the Tabernacle. 19 If the cloud remained over the Tabernacle for a long time, the Israelites stayed and performed their duty to the Lord. 20 Sometimes the cloud would stay over the Tabernacle for only a few days, so the people would stay for only a few days, as the Lord commanded. Then at the Lord’s command they would break camp and move on.21 Sometimes the cloud stayed only overnight and lifted the next morning. But day or night, when the cloud lifted, the people broke camp and moved on. 22 Whether the cloud stayed above the Tabernacle for two days, a month, or a year, the people of Israel stayed in camp and did not move on. But as soon as it lifted, they broke camp and moved on. 23 So they camped or traveled at the Lord’s command, and they did whatever the Lord told them through Moses."

As God was leading His people out of Egypt, a life of slavery, and towards the promised land, He directed and guided them with a cloud by day and with a fire by night. When the cloud stayed stationary, the people stopped; when the cloud became dynamic, the people moved. While the Israelites camped, they performed their duties to the Lord whether it be for a day, a week, a month, or even a year. What discipline it must have taken for them to obey God to stay put when the promised land awaited! They persevered in their duties while camped. They, at times anyways, chose a life of contentment while they stayed under the cloud even while anticipating the land flowing with milk and honey. While complaining and grumbling did rear its head among the Israelites, in this passage, they found that being in the presence of God was far greater than obtaining perfect physical surroundings. They didn't, in Numbers 9, run ahead of God and seek the promised land on their own.

My type "A", goal-driven, perfectionistic tendencies often challenge me to strive for more, better, greater...not possessions, but more frequently, character traits--in me and others...ugh!! While I want to hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness (Matthew 5:6), I have to discern what He is leading me to change and how to grow rather than just jump ahead of Him and "perfect" on my own. And, I'm embarrassed to admit because it is so prideful, He's showing me that others are NOT my project to perfect--disciple, influence in a godly way, encourage, love, yes; but perfect and change--NO!

Often we, as a society/people, lack perseverance. We are in a situation that no longer "feels" good and right, and boy does the grass ever look greener on the other side. So, we run out when the feelings disappear and times get tough. Obviously there are times to move along, i.e. when the cloud lifts and we know that our decision lines up with God's Word, with what the Holy Spirit is telling us through prayer, with God's nature, and with the trusted Christian counsel of fellow believers. But more often than not, we bail when we should not, and we rely on feelings instead of the truth of God. We bail. We bail on our marriages. We bail on our financial responsibilities. We bail on our children. We bail on our jobs. We bail on our churches. We bail on our word. We bail on serving and helping others. We bail.

We all have a bent towards bailing; it's our sinful nature. But the Good News is that whether we have actually already bailed or just have thoughts of bailing, Jesus offers us forgiveness with His blood that He shed for us on the cross. He gives us hope to change us from having a bent towards bailing to having a bent towards contentment and fulfillment in Him. He fills the "God-hole" that we all have in our soul and that we often try to fill with everything but God. When we allow Him to take His rightful place in us, then we finally know true peace and contentment. Though the growth in the godly characteristics of obedience, perseverance, and contentment continue for a lifetime.

When our focal point isn't Jesus, we zero in on what is around the corner and the next step, and we don't focus on being content right where God has us. The next "big thing" isn't nearly as rewarding as being still in the presence of God and doing the work He has for us right where we are. Sometimes it is the waiting that is the actual "next big thing" because our character is developing to become more godly. God knows that the place where we are camped can sometimes be a desert. He knows it can be painful, difficult, and seem lifeless. April, a fellow blogger, said that often we aren't allowed to move along until we have learned to be content where we are. God is jealous. He doesn't want us to find fulfillment in Him and... He wants us to know that He is our All in All. That doesn't mean that He doesn't bless us with relationships, worldly possessions, jobs that use our talents and gifts, but He wants us to learn that He is our Shepherd, and that we have all that we need in Him; in fact our cup overflows with His blessings (Psalm 23).

I write this as a fellow sojourner learning to be content, and in fact learning that I not only have all in need in Jesus, but my cup overflows. I don't write this out of judgement for anyone, but rather as a challenge to us all to move when He says to move and to stay when He tells us to stay. I'm so comforted knowing that Our Lord Jesus has our best in mind.

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

"Thank You, Lord, for loving us so much that You would develop in us obedience, perseverance, and contentment."

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