28 Days of Gratitude: Day 23
Scripture of the Day: “They said, ‘Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?’ But the Lord heard them.” (Numbers 12:2)
Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ sister and brother, had a complaint against him. Before they uttered the words in our featured Scripture, the Bible makes us aware of an underlying issue.
According to verse 1, the disgruntled siblings complained and criticized Moses for marrying a Cushite woman— Ethiopian and dark-skinned. Being that Moses made this decision without their approval, they felt slighted and disregarded. A mix of wounded pride, anger, and jealousy, led Miriam and Aaron to challenge Moses’ divinely-bestowed position of authority.
“Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” they said, pointing out that they, like Moses, could hear from God. While it is true that both Miriam and Aaron were anointed and chosen to lead alongside Moses (Micah 6:4), their roles were very different. Aaron was a priest and Moses’ spokesperson (Exodus 4:15), and Miriam was a prophetess (Exodus 15:20), but Moses’ relationship with God was far more intimate.
The Lord said this about Moses: “Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face” (vs. 7-8).
Miriam and Aaron’s attitudes, criticisms, and complaints against Moses greatly angered God. He struck Miriam with leprosy, a disease that made her unclean and forced her to live outside the camp for seven days. Before God poured out His wrath, these two probably didn’t even realize that their bitter complaints and criticism undercut Moses and challenged divine authority. They likely weren’t thinking about God’s perspective on the matter, only their feelings about their brother’s situation.
Have you ever gotten caught up in your feelings and failed to think about how God saw things? Did you ever complain and express displeasure about a situation without asking the Lord for His guidance and perspective? Have you asked God lately to mold and shape your opinions, ideas, and preferences?
BE GRATEFUL AND HUMBLE
Miriam and Aaron measured their roles against Moses’ and wondered, aren’t we just as anointed as he is? Why does he have more power and authority than we do?
Comparison, which Theodore Roosevelt said is the thief of joy, made these siblings unhappy in their positions and stirred up confusion. Has Satan ever baited you into the comparison trap?
What the enemy won’t tell you is that God has predetermined the path of your life, and all you need to do is follow Him. When you gratefully and humbly work to the best of your ability to do what pleases Him, and trust Him to place you in the position He has ordained for you, you will be blessed.
Matthew 23:12 NLT says, “But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
God loves humility. Can you think of ways you can be more humble? Serve more graciously and gratefully? Be more prayerful when you don’t agree with something? Be more consciously aware of any negative thoughts and emotions?
AVOID A COLLISION
When I was younger, I was a pretty careless driver. One day, while I was eight months pregnant and had all my children in the car, I got into a wreck, and the collision was my fault. After that day, I started driving more carefully and haven’t been in a car accident since. When traveling on your path to purpose, how can you avoid a collision that could potentially wreck your destiny? You do this by obeying divine road rules.
Rules like:
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14 KJV)
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3 NIV).
“Do everything without complaining and arguing.” (Philippians 2:14 NLT)
Through prayer and careful study of God’s word, you will be strengthened and equipped to yield to God, pay attention to His signals, respect others on the road, and stay in our lane. You’ll be more inclined to ask God for the green light before making any moves.
When we each consult the Lord consistently, He helps us not to give in to the temptation to complain, criticize, or compare. The closer you and I draw to God, the more thankful, humble, and joyful we become.
JOURNAL ASSIGNMENT
In your journal today, write down:
A role you serve in and why you are blessed to be in that position.
One characteristic of a person in authority over you that you are thankful for.
One way serving someone else has helped you become a better person.
One way God has blessed you today.
One situation you are thankful for that taught you humility.
Now, let’s pray.
God, I don’t always agree with or like what I see in the places You have called me to be, but I thank You that being in uncomfortable situations helps conform me into the image of Christ. In every circumstance, please help me live according to Colossians 3:23 and work to please you and not man. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.
As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!
What Is the 28 Days of Gratitude Series Based On?
This gratitude series is based on 1 Thessalonians 5:18 NLT, which says, “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
In my time spent with the Lord, He dealt with me about how we have a tendency to focus on our issues, problems, challenges, and difficulties, but we are not necessarily intentional about focusing on His goodness. Failing to meditate on His works forces us into a cycle of complaining and blinds us to the amazing ways He reveals Himself on a daily basis. In all circumstances, let us be more grateful.
What do I need to participate?
To participate in this series, you will need a notebook and a journal, because it requires writing some things down. In whatever journal you choose—and it doesn’t need to be anything fancy—daily, you will write down the Scripture of the day.
The featured verse will highlight a complaint from the Bible to help you see that, throughout history, others have struggled just as you do. Yet, God desires that we be grateful. In your journal, I would ask that you write the verse you see featured on the Daily Cup blog each morning, then jot down 5 things for which you are grateful.
5 is the number of grace, so you will be focusing on the grace of God and how His mercy has been evident in your life, even during rough times. At the end of each post, 5 suggested thing to write about are listed.