"Is the LORD's power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not."
Have you ever gotten your way by whining and crying? What parent hasn't dealt with this with their children? None of us like to see it, yet so often we do this with God. Be careful with this kind of attitude. You may get more than you bargained for. As the children of Israel "endured" the difficulties of the wilderness, which was not a walk in the park, there were things that they especially began to miss about Egypt. One was meat. They had had their fill of the miracle of manna and, the writer records that, "...the rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, 'Who will give us meat to eat?' We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna,'" (Numbers 11:4-6). Upon hearing this "weeping", the writer says, "the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly," (11:10). Among some things God cannot stand, at the top of the list are murmuring and complaining, and, clear into the NT, He speaks strongly against this poison. He knows it has the power to influence others negatively, carrying in it a venom that challenges God's will and ability. It says, "I could do this better." Amazingly, there is a powerful truth that comes out of this scenario, best known under more positive circumstances, but, nevertheless, no less true. Reacting to this kind of spirit, God told Moses to tell the people, "...the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat... not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'" (11:19-20). Even Moses was a bit incredulous. He said to the LORD, "The people...are 600,000... Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?" (11:21-22). Then the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not," (11:23). To be sure, His word came true alright, but it wasn't with His blessing. Only with His power. God brought quail in with a strong wind, in over abundance, but the people suffered greatly for their foul (no pun intended) spirit. No, the LORD's power is not limited, but don't seek His power without His blessing. Seek first the blessing of His Presence, and then, always remember, His power will be sufficient for real need. Which should never be confused with our wants.
Have you ever gotten your way by whining and crying? What parent hasn't dealt with this with their children? None of us like to see it, yet so often we do this with God. Be careful with this kind of attitude. You may get more than you bargained for. As the children of Israel "endured" the difficulties of the wilderness, which was not a walk in the park, there were things that they especially began to miss about Egypt. One was meat. They had had their fill of the miracle of manna and, the writer records that, "...the rabble who were among them had greedy desires; and also the sons of Israel wept again and said, 'Who will give us meat to eat?' We remember the fish which we used to eat free in Egypt, the cucumbers and the melons and the leeks and the onions and the garlic, but now our appetite is gone. There is nothing at all to look at except this manna,'" (Numbers 11:4-6). Upon hearing this "weeping", the writer says, "the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly," (11:10). Among some things God cannot stand, at the top of the list are murmuring and complaining, and, clear into the NT, He speaks strongly against this poison. He knows it has the power to influence others negatively, carrying in it a venom that challenges God's will and ability. It says, "I could do this better." Amazingly, there is a powerful truth that comes out of this scenario, best known under more positive circumstances, but, nevertheless, no less true. Reacting to this kind of spirit, God told Moses to tell the people, "...the LORD will give you meat and you shall eat... not one day, nor two days, nor five days, nor ten days, nor twenty days, but a whole month, until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, because you have rejected the LORD who is among you and have wept before Him, saying 'Why did we ever leave Egypt?'" (11:19-20). Even Moses was a bit incredulous. He said to the LORD, "The people...are 600,000... Should flocks and herds be slaughtered for them, to be sufficient for them? Or should all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them, to be sufficient for them?" (11:21-22). Then the LORD said to Moses, "Is the LORD's power limited? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not," (11:23). To be sure, His word came true alright, but it wasn't with His blessing. Only with His power. God brought quail in with a strong wind, in over abundance, but the people suffered greatly for their foul (no pun intended) spirit. No, the LORD's power is not limited, but don't seek His power without His blessing. Seek first the blessing of His Presence, and then, always remember, His power will be sufficient for real need. Which should never be confused with our wants.
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