Numbers 20:12 – “Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites, therefore you will not bring this community into the land I have given them.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was challenged in my spirit.    I was led to reflect on God’s expectation and requirement from and for each of us.

The expectation of explicit obedience was not just for leaders (Moses and Aaron).  In Numbers 20:6-12, we have the instructions to speak to the rock and get water.   Moses let his flesh blind him to the requirement of explicit obedience!   His disobedience cost him the privilege and joy of possessing the promise – the land.  

His failure to explicitly obey was a revelation of a lack of trust (v 12), and that failure resulted in unfulfilled destiny.   God’s gifts and call are irrevocable, but fulfilling our destiny can be subverted by failure to obey explicitly.

Explicit obedience is not always, and maybe is never, easy!    Paul’s life was characterized by obedience (explicit).  He enjoyed extraordinary revelation and saw amazing miracles and demonstrations of God’s power.  That presented a danger that all face: pride and becoming puffed up.   As a preventative and a constant reminder of where his strength and grace lay, God permitted a messenger of satan to trouble him.  

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul identified the reason and purpose of the pest.   “So, I would not become arrogant…” It was a reminder of his true source of strength.   He didn’t want it to remain and pleaded 3 times for deliverance.  But God opted to leave it as a reminder, “My grace is enough for you, My power is made perfect in (human) weakness.”  That brought Paul to the place where he could, in confidence and trust, say, “Whenever I am weak (in my human ability), then I am strong.”

Paul’s parting words to the Corinthian church are germane today!  2 Corinthians 13:11 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, REJOICE, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, AND the God of Love and Peace will be with you.”   The result of God being with us is Peace, Power, Protection, and Provision.

An aside I heard in my spirit is from 2 Corinthians 11:14: “Deceivers Deceive!”   People follow deception because the deceivers offer a false hope that the deceived desperately want to be true.   The deceived ignore facts and believe illogical lies because they want the deception to be true.  That opens the door to placing trust in something other than God and to more deception. Beware!

Father, help us to obey explicitly all the time and every time!