Tag Archives: Christian devotional

MATTHEW 5 BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT & THE MEEK

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March 22

MATTHEW 5

 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sonsof God.10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. – Matthew 5:1-12

MATTHEW 5 BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT & THE MEEK

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The poor in spirit acknowledges their sinfulness and need for Christ

They know their place before the Master and bows down only to Jesus

They are consecrated by God and shall receive heaven as their inheritance

On their foreheads are written the names of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father

The meek and humble of heart shall reap the earth that is going to be renewed

With that promise, they will be stewards of a new place to worship Christ alone.

Since the theme of this month is humility, I will only focus on verse 3 and 5 of the Beatitudes since they are about the poor in spirit and the meek. Often when we hear “poor in spirit” many of us mistake it for the materially poor but Jesus was referring here to the prophet Isaiah’s words in 66:2 “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” From this prophetic word of Isaiah, we now know that he is focusing on those who recognize their weaknesses but also know their strengths because they know that they are image-bearers of God. God looks for those who acknowledge their true identity in him. The poor in spirit also are lowly and are corrected and follow God’s word so that they stay in righteousness. They are deeply intimate with God so they know when they have left that godly state and they know that they have offended God alone.

Verse 5 says that the meek will inherit the earth. A comment on a website says this about this verse “As we have seen, the earth has become the location of the kingdom of heaven. We tend to think of the kingdom of heaven as heaven, a place completely different (golden streets, gates of pearl, a mansion over the hilltop) from anything we know here. But God’s promise of the kingdom is a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1).Those who submit their power to God will inherit the perfect kingdom coming to earth. In this kingdom, we receive by God’s grace the good things the arrogant fruitlessly strive for in the present earths.” The meek will rule the new heaven and the new earth because of their total submission to God.

REFLECTION

·       Share some misconceptions about “poor in spirit” and the “meek” that you have heard before.

MATTHEW 6 PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS HUMBLY

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March 21

MATTHEW 6

Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. – Matthew 6:1-6

MATTHEW 6 PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS HUMBLY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a servant of God, you ought to follow his example

Jesus did not announce all the good things he was doing

He obeyed the will of his Father discreetly and meekly

He didn’t boast or announce his salvation plan loudly

Instead, he obeyed his Father’s will submissively and humbly

He instructs his people not to make a show of their deeds but to do it silently.

In this account, Jesus teaches his followers how to do works of their salvation and how to pray in the humblest manner. He pointed out what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets and warned them not to follow such acts. The hypocrites do not do it for the love or service of others, but to seek praise for themselves. They love accolades and being elevated so they can gain rewards for their achievements or good behavior. But, isn’t it human nature to perform and do as the hypocrites did? Yes, our flesh wants attention for the “self” and wants to be proud of what we have accomplished. This is why Jesus warns us against following such natural tendencies to feed our sinful nature.

Jesus gave instructions to his followers which were all counter-intuitive to the world system. Here are some of those directives he mentioned in this account:

·       Do not do righteous deeds to be praised or else the rewards will no longer be in heaven since you have already claimed them when you have performed it in front of others.

·       When you give to the needy, do not announce it so that you can be praised; do it quietly instead.

·       Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing when you give to the needy because by doing so, you will have your reward in heaven and not on earth because you did it secretly.

·       When you pray, go into your room and make sure no one sees you so that your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

REFLECTION

·       How are Jesus’ instructions to his followers against the world system?

COLOSSIANS 3 PUT ON HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS

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March 20

COLOSSIANS 3

12 Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

                                                                                – Colossians 3:12-17

COLOSSIANS 3 PUT ON HUMILITY AND MEEKNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a child chosen by God, one is called to put on the new self

Since the old life is self-preservation which opposes God’s provision

The believer is called to change his own desires towards pleasing God

While the unbeliever always prioritizes the desires of his flesh

To put on humility, self-reliance becomes God-dependence

To wear meekness is manifested in self-control and patience.

Matthew 5:3 gives us a picture of what humility looks like. In the Sermon in the Mount, Jesus says that the poor in spirit are blessed and will receive the kingdom of heaven. Material poverty is not the same as spiritual poverty. To be poor in the context of the world is to have less wealth, power and earthly things. Spiritual poverty is a recognition of one’s dependence on God. A spiritually poor person humbly admits that he is nothing without God. He doesn’t have any pride on what he is capable of doing or having because he knows it all comes from God. Humility is the opposite of pride, stubbornness or outburst of anger. A proud person is self-willed. Humility focuses on one’s posture towards God. A humble person admits his weaknesses and sins and goes before the Lord to be corrected and disciplined.

Meekness is mentioned in the beatitudes in Matthew 5:5 where Jesus says that they are blessed for they will inherit the earth. Meekness is the outward expression of humility. A meek person does not have a resistant and hostile spirit. He is teachable and doesn’t retaliate when exposed, wronged or being corrected. He doesn’t insist on his own ways or beliefs. It is strength under control or a desire to yield to God’s will and discipline. Meekness is the opposite of retaliation, stubbornness and self-will.

Paul calls the church of believers in Colossae to wear their new nature in Christ. He calls them to put on love and compassion, bearing with one another and living in harmony and peace. What I’d like to focus on in this account is humility and meekness. It is the first step to walking in love and compassion. If we take this first step, we can navigate the tendencies of the flesh towards sin. We will be able to hear the leading of the Holy Spirit in praising and glorifying God with a humble heart and meek spirit.

REFLECTION

  • How is humility different from meekness? Why do many mistake them as synonyms?

EXODUS 10 ON REFUSING TO MEEKLY SUBMIT TO GOD

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March 19

EXODUS 10

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6 They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. – Exodus 10:1-6

EXODUS 10 ON REFUSING TO MEEKLY SUBMIT TO GOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God is the only One who is worthy of praise

Refusal to acknowledge Him will deny you of God’s grace

You’ll create idols and gods that will compete with the Lord

You’ll think highly of yourself and follow the ways of the world

Your heart will be hardened and your mind deceived

You will be tossed and blown like the waves of the sea

When proud, you cannot expect anything from the Lord

He will punish those who are haughty and not obeying his laws.

Those denominations that do not see the bible as inerrant (without error), will probably view it as any other historical or storybook containing events and people. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. When I was led out of false teachings from those denominations that didn’t see the inerrancy of the bible, these two verses became my life’s principle and light to live a godly life. It taught me what the truth is, it exposed my sins, gave me training to walk in the Spirit and constantly commune with God and with those who love the Lord. It also equipped me to hear and obey the purpose of my life according to God’s will.

The reason that led to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt was clearly illustrated in the following verses. It is not just a story, but it is an account of the covenant promise of God to his people. It documented the cause of God’s hardening Pharaoh’s heart which was already hardened before all these happened. But it was to show God’s people his power   control over all things and his hatred for evil and wickedness. From this account, we see how God warned Pharaoh before he executed his plan to plague Egypt. It gives us a picture of how God hates and punishes the proud and haughty.

REFLECTION

·       Why do you think people continue to cling to pride and cite consequences of a haughty heart?

1 PETER 1 CLOTHE IN HUMILITY

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March 18

1 PETER 1

5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 1:5-11

1 PETER 1 CLOTHE IN HUMILITY

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord God hates and opposes the haughty and arrogant

Clothe yourselves in humility under the mighty hand of God

Do not be fretful about anything for the Lord knows your needs

Be watchful of the schemes of the devil; he wants you to sin

Meditate on the word of God for it is the sword of your Spirit

When you do so, you will be victorious to fight the devil

Obey God’s law for it will be your protection against attacks

It will renew your mind, restore and strengthen your heart.

Peter writes to the church giving them instructions how to clothe themselves in humility. Here are the ways we wear humility as followers of Christ:

·       Submit to authority – God emphasizes the importance of following the order that he sampled for

the believers. Being accountable to the one assigned to you by God shows that you will also be obedient to his laws and will.

·       Be meek and remember that you are in covenant with God – By recalling this covenant, we can

always humbly know God is above us and we below him. He is our God and we are his people.

·       Fret for nothing – this shows that you know that God is in control and that he is all-knowing and

our provider and shield. When we are not anxious, we trust him in all things.

·       Be self-controlled and watchful – if you rely on God, you will have peace and calm and he will

give you discernment when you are being tempted to sin.

·       Know your enemy & have a soldier mentality – Being aware of the schemes and tactics of the

the devil gives you an edge to overcoming his ploys and snares and always ready to wear the armor or God.

·       Embrace and rejoice in suffering – when you see suffering as a path to endure and grow your faith,

you will be grateful that God is strengthening you. You will be amazed in the grace you are given.  It will grow endurance, your character and will mature your faith.

REFLECTION

·       Which of these pointers for clothing yourself in humility are you still struggling with and why?

2 SAMUEL 22 THE HUMBLE ARE SAVED & THE HAUGHTY RUINED

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March 17

2 SAMUEL 22

26 “With the merciful you show yourself merciful;  with the blameless man you show yourself blameless;
27 with the purified you deal purely, and with the crooked you make yourself seem tortuous.
28 You save a humble people,  but your eyes are on the haughty to bring them down.
29 For you are my lamp, O Lord,   and my God lightens my darkness.
30 For by you I can run against a troop   and by my God I can leap over a wall.
31 This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true;
    he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him. – 2 Samuel 22:26-31

2 SAMUEL 22 THE HUMBLE ARE SAVED & THE HAUGHTY RUINED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

The Lord never changes his character, he is constantly reliable

To those who are forgiving and gracious, he shows his compassion

To the irreproachable, he shows his righteousness and holiness

To the wicked and crooked men, he brings them punishment

To those who are meek and subservient to him, he brings them counsel

To the haughty and proud, they suffer the consequence of their arrogance.

This psalm written by David is almost identical to Psalm 18. Jesus also repeats the importance of a true relationship with God in the Sermon on the Mount. Because God is our Father, he expects a relationship with us by following these principles of love. Matthew 7 repeats this law of love in which one will be measured by how we measure one another. Morgan comments on this: “In these words we have revealed the principles of the relationship between God and man. God is to man what man is to God.”

These following verses shows us the character of God and what he expects from his own people. Just like David shows us in Psalm 1 the blessed and the wicked men and how God deals with them differently. The Lord blesses those who do not walk in the counsel of the wicked but those who are evil, cannot stand the judgment or the congregation of the righteous because the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the wicked will perish. In other words, if we sow righteousness, we will reap the fruits of the Spirit, but if we sow evil, we will harvest sin.

Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6, and 1 Peter 5:5 reiterates the principle spoken of here. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.   David Guzik comments “There is something in true humility that prompts the grace and mercy of God and there is something in pride and haughtiness that prompts His resistance and displeasure.”

Humble people do not think highly of themselves unlike the proud ones. True humility means that you know your place and that you acknowledge that God is your Maker and in control of all things. Pride is the opposite of humility. The haughty person thinks very highly of himself that he is blinded to see that someone is higher than him who sees all things and knows all things.

REFLECTION

  • How can we be humbler and let go of pride as Christians?

ZEPHANIAH 2 SEEK HUMILITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

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March 16

ZEPHANIAH 2

Gather together, yes, gather, O shameless nation,
2 before the decree takes effect—before the day passes away like chaff—
before there comes upon you the burning anger of the Lord,
before there comes upon you the day of the anger of the Lord.
3 Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands;
seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden
on the day of the anger of the Lord.– Zephaniah 2:1-3

ZEPHANIAH 2 SEEK HUMILITY AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

God calls all his people to give up their idols and to repent

Because they don’t belong to the world, they need to turn from sin

The Lord is patient to his people but warns them of his wrath

He wants them to watch out for wickedness and pride

All his people have to pursue righteousness and humility

Without these two, they are at risk of falling to pride and vanity.

Much is not known of the prophet Zephaniah except that he was Jeremiah’s contemporary and that he prophesied during Josiah’s reign. According to John MacArthur’s commentary “The moral and spiritual conditions detailed in the book seem to place the prophecy prior to Josiah’s reforms, when Judah was still languishing in idolatry and wickedness. It was in 628 B.C. that Josiah tore down all the altars to Baal, burned the bones of false prophets, and broke the carved idols and in 622 B.C. the Book of the Law was found.”

The whole chapter 2 of this book focuses on the judgment against all the nations that go against the Lord and his laws. There is an essence of imminent danger that you can feel as you read these following verses as if doomsday is just seconds away from them. Josiah was going to make the reforms for all these nations who do not follow the Lord’s laws and continue to worship their idols. I think that it is not just for those nations that these prophecies were given to. In our present time in history, this is a big warning for us to watch out for. As we approach the second coming of the Lord, we will be experiencing a lot of signs of the end times. With all the wars going on around us today, we can easily see that those times written in the bible are not far from happening. The call of the prophet is for these unbelieving nations to warn them of the consequences of God’s wrath but also to invite them to come to the knowledge of God and turn towards repentance.

Humility and righteousness were specifically pointed out as the ways to be free from God’s outpouring of his wrath on the evil and idolatry that stirs God’s hatred of sin.

REFLECTION

  • How does seeking righteousness and humility protect us from God’s wrath?

 1 KINGS 21 HUMILITY SAVES US FROM DESTRUCTION

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March 15

1 KINGS 21

25 (There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord like Ahab, whom Jezebel his wife incited. 26 He acted very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord cast out before the people of Israel.)27 And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. 28 And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.”– 1 Kings 21:25-29

 1 KINGS 21 HUMILITY SAVES US FROM DESTRUCTION

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

No matter how proud and arrogant one has been

There is still hope for them if they repent of their sin

When Ahab humbled himself after being admonished

It saved him from destruction at that exact instant

If you are corrected by the Lord God, it means you are his

Repent and renew your mind and be saved from collapse.

The chapter where this verse came from is the story of Naboth’s vineyard. Naboth, who was a Jezreelite and owned a vineyard just beside King Ahab’s palace. Ahab wanted the vineyard to convert it into his vegetable garden since it was near his palace. He gave Naboth a good offer but Naboth was faithful to follow the Lord’s instruction not to sell it to him since it was also an inheritance from his father. Ahab’s reaction to this rejection was a clear example of narcissism. He wanted that vineyard and when he couldn’t get it, he pouted and got depressed. Narcissist’s world revolves around him. He cannot see anyone else outside of himself. Because of some insecurity, the narcissist won’t admit to defeat and will passively hide their disappointment. But Jezebel, his evil wife, who was another narcissist controlled everything she could have her hands on. She was mad that her husband, who was a king, was rejected by a mere farmer who lives beside them. So, she plotted to take that vineyard by force and kill Naboth by manipulating the whole thing. She wrote letters to the men of the city so they could hire some men to lie and accuse Naboth of something he never did. So, he was stoned to death and they got the land of Naboth.

Narcissism is the highest form of pride anyone can possess. The narcissist’s world revolves only on himself. He has to cover up all his insecurities, weaknesses and phoniness so they could continue to caress their ego and be the center of their universe. It is interesting that as soon as he heard the verdict of the consequence of his and his wife’s sin, he immediately repented and humbled himself. By doing this, he was saved instantly even though the consequences of what he and his wife have done will still have a bearing on his son’s days. We can never gain anything from pride, haughtiness, manipulation and murder. It will always come back at us. So, let’s humble ourselves and focus on giving God the glory.

REFLECTION

·       Give other examples in the bible that were humiliated to ruin because of their pride.

EPHESIANS 4 WALK IN HUMILITY EVEN IN PRISON

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March 14

EPHESIANS 4

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”]9 (In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? 10 He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)  – Ephesians 4:1-10

EPHESIANS 4 WALK IN HUMILITY EVEN IN PRISON

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

As a servant of Christ, one is urged to walk with all humility

Unlike the servant of the world who focuses on living for vanity

The true believer prioritizes the needs of the spirit

While the worldly person puts first his physical needs

Because the chosen child of God is given all the gifts and grace

He is able to see God and not himself as the center of the universe

By nature, a man follows his tendencies which leads to wickedness

Only supernaturally and divinely can a man be led to righteousness.

In this account, Paul writes to the Ephesian church instructing them how to be a prisoner for the Lord. Why does he talk in prison language? Probably because most of his epistles were written to the different churches while he was incarcerated. I also think that one of the reasons that he speaks this language of slavery and imprisonment was because of the rise to power of the Roman empire. He wants the believers to understand that God’s kingdom doesn’t operate the same way as worldly kingdoms like the Roman empire who usurps power to control the spread of their kingdom. In order to do so, they have to capture those who do not follow their control. They were the ones who actually persecuted the Lord. In these following verses, Paul shows us that being a prisoner for Christ, he was free. Ironically, it was the same captivity that allowed him to preach the gospel much more than he could have even if he was outside and free.

Paul was not originally the chosen apostles by Jesus, but he was chosen by God himself while he was persecuting Christians. He was used by God to bring the Gentiles who didn’t know God to believe in him. In prison, one is not free to say or do what one wants. But by God’s grace, Paul was still able to hear the Holy Spirit’s leading in spreading the gospel even in the constraints of that prison. As a prisoner of Christ, he explains that walking in humility and in love removes all these constraints because it is the working of the Holy Spirit that enables him to fulfill the purpose of his calling which is to spread the gospel.

REFLECTION

  • How can the Spirit of God free us from different prisons by walking in humility?

DEUTERONOMY 8 HUMBLED IN THE WILDERNESS

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March 13

DEUTERONOMY 8

“The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the Lord swore to give to your fathers. 2 And you shall remember the whole way that the Lord your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. 3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord. 4 Your clothing did not wear out on you and your foot did not swell these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that, as a man disciplines his son, the Lord your God disciplines you. 6 So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. – Deuteronomy 8:1-6

DEUTERONOMY 8 HUMBLED IN THE WILDERNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you belong to the Lord, he will strengthen you

He will test you so you can be resilient and strong

It is his way of humbling you so you can rely on Him

You will be like his child who needs nurturing and caring

He will allow you to go through life’s wilderness

So, you can stay meek and be led to righteousness

Remember that he will always provide for your needs

He never forsakes his children and never forgets them.

The writer of this book reminds the Israelites what God has done for them while they were in the wilderness for forty years. Most of all, he reminded them to keep the commandments and follow them so they can multiply and possess the land that God promised them. Moses reminded them of the covenant that they made with their Lord and that agreement had expectations from their end to fulfill. That part of their covenant entails that they go through all the tests and obstacles that will lead them to take the promised land so that the promise will be fulfilled.

In this account, Moses explains to them the purpose of the forty years in the wilderness. It was to keep them humble and dependent on God. Many of them were grumbling about why they had to give up all the things they loved in Egypt. They couldn’t recognize the benefit of being free from slavery because they were attached to the things that they were used to even though they were in bondage. It is like Stockholm syndrome where the victim begins to love the victimizer and the things done to her because it became so normal and part of her life. They cannot see that they are being abused. The abuser tries to bring some pleasurable things so they forget that they are being used and enslaved.

Moses tried to remind them of all the provisions that God brought them as they went through the wilderness for forty years so they can remember the covenant promise they made to God.

REFLECTION

·       Share how you have been humbled in some of your wilderness journeys?