Losing Focus

The Israelites had been freed from slavery but were subject to the harsh rule of the desert. They were tired and hungry and, most of all, thirsty. They were frustrated and Moses was the object of their consternation.  

"Why have you brought us out here to die?" they cried out accussingly.  They lamented all the good food they had while in Egypt (you would have thought they had been living in the lap of luxury instead of harsh slavery to hear them tell it).

Moses took their complaining and accusations to the Lord, who directed Moses to speak to a rock,Mahican would pour forth abundant water. Instead of speaking to the rock as directed, Moses, in his frustration with the People, shouted out to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock ?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank" (Num 20:10-11).

Moses, like the Israelites he was frustrated with, lost focus. He directed his attention to the people complaining instead of the Lord providing. This loss of focus and the personal pride tha came out of it cost him entrance into the Promised Land: “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them" (Num 20:12). 

Moses isn't alone in this tendency. Don't we often focus on the the people giving us problems and react in kind instead of focusing on God and reacting in kindness, allowing Gid to have the glory while we release our frustration, laying it at His feet?  The Bible is clear about "setting our hearts on things above where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God" (Col 3:1). Maybe we should be too. Jus' Sayn.