Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Day 99, April 9

Yesterday I wrote of Naaman who struggled to be obedient because of the simplicity of the command.  It occurred to me that many of us have similar struggles.  We question the Lord's directives because they seem too simple to hold real power.

Such was the case with the children of Israel when they fled from their Egyptian captors and landed in the wilderness wandering around for 40 years.  Even after the miracles they'd witnessed such as the parting of the Red Sea or the appearance of manna from heaven, they questioned Moses and the Lord.  The Lord sent fiery serpants to punish the people.  Then He provided a way that they could be cured.  All they had to do was look to the serpant raised on a pole.

The people scoffed at that, claiming that merely looking at the serpant could not possibly cure them.  Many died because they refused.

I am always sad when I read this story, first for the Israelites, then for myself, for I, too, have a difficult time obeying the simplest of commandments. I imagine the Father shaking His head at me, saying, "Jane, why do you doubt Me?"

Joy for today:  finding obedience in simplicity.

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