WORRIED ABOUT HOW WE APPEAR
Jenna Worsham
Today’s Scripture: “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.’” Numbers 20:12
Theme: When we prioritize how we look to others over obeying God exactly, there are consequences; yet God remains faithful.
SELF-CONSCIOUS
We are created in God’s image. We are familiar with our own images because of the ubiquitous availability of photos, mirrors, and digital images. Although ancient Egyptians did have a sort of mirror, when living among the Israelites, Moses and Aaron would have had to look in a particularly clear body of water, see a drawing rendered, or listen to descriptions of themselves provided by people around them. Yet, when Moses was asked to speak to the rock, he seemed to worry about how that might appear to “his” followers. Instead, he took his staff and struck the rock. Possibly a more practical way to produce water? Springs don’t release water by striking rocks. From a cursory search, it appears water might be released from a cavity in a rock if struck but that would be rare, especially in the desert. So even though Moses may have thought hitting the rock made him look less silly than speaking to it, he was wrong and disobedient. God disapproved of Moses’ partial disobedience and there were consequences.
UNAFFECTED
Taking a break from social media, wearing the same dress every day for a month, or allowing my kids freedom to show up at church in clothes I don’t approve of all force me to face my own desire for approval. On a chilly winter Sunday, our youngest decided he didn’t want to go to church unless he could go in a lemur onesie, complete with a masked face on the hood and a long ringtail dragging behind. Deciding that church and peace were both more important than dignity, I brought my lemur/son to church. I wish I could say I didn’t apologize to amused volunteers and staff. I wish I could say that I was unaffected by this unimportant faux pas. “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10, ESV). We serve God. We seek His approval. The reminder to obey God completely and learn to be unaffected by others' opinions is relevant to me today. If you see a lemur at church, he’s with me. I’m trying to obey God and not worry so much about how I look to others.
Make It Personal: Are we more self-conscious or unaffected in our daily lives? Can you think of a time where you behaved like Moses, doing what looked better to others rather than what you knew God asked you to do? Let us speak to the rock, not strike it – obeying God instead of worrying about what others might think of our methods.
Pray: Dear Father God, Thank You for giving us instructions and using us for Your purposes. Help us to listen carefully and follow You fully and with our whole hearts.
Read: Numbers 27:14; Deuteronomy 1:27, 27:14, 32:51; Psalm 106:32-33
Weekly Memory Verse: "What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?” Romans 3:3, ESV