In John 6:5 to 14 we find Jesus feeding a crowd of five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. What a great miracle! It is therefore no surprise when the crowd crosses the Sea of Galilee (Tiberias) and looks for Jesus in Capernaum, the next day. On seeing the crowd Jesus tells them, “you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill". Now wait, what is he trying to dissect – thousands indeed had their fill and they had indeed seen this miracle with their own eyes. He seems to be implying that following because they saw a miracle was right but following because they were filled is not right.
A close examination of this outburst reveals a certain disappointment in Jesus. He had hoped that they will see the feeding of thousands with little food, as a miraculous sign pointing to the presence of God among them. A statement by Jesus to a different audience underpins this expectation: "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe." (John 4: 48). Such believing will lead them towards seeking more of God himself who can fulfill their hearts’ deepest longings. But here they were, not realizing any truth but just hanging around hoping to get free food.
In Acts 8:9-19 we see a similar response from Simon when he saw people being anointed miraculously by the Holy Spirit. Simon had practiced sorcery for some time in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He had boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, had given him their attention. But when he heard Philip preach the good news of the kingdom of God, he himself believed and was baptized, and followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. Later when Simon saw that the Spirit was given when Peter and John placed their hands on the people, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." (Acts 8:19). He too had missed the point. Instead of seeing God himself at work and holding on to him, here he was trying to maintain or better his livelihood -- he had only changed the source for his power; it was devil and sorcery earlier and he now thought it could be God.
Jesus after pointing out that they were following him so they could continue to get food, implores them “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you”. (John 6:27) Does this ring a bell? The bible says that "if for only this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men". (I Cor 15;19)
God often uses miracles that address one’s physical and material needs – success in studies, progression in career, healing, etc., - to reveal himself and to grab one’s attention so one will hold on to him unto eternal life. He says in Hosea 2:14, “I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her”. His expectation is that she will no longer call him ‘my master’ but move to a closer relationship where she calls him ‘my husband’. (Hos 2:16). In Deu 8:3 we find Moses explaining to the Israelites, “God humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. When people cling on to the blessings rather than clinging to the one who blesses, he is disappointed.
Jesus fed thousands in a miraculous way to let people see that He himself is the bread from heaven that can satisfy one’s deepest hunger -- to know God intimately and to understand God's purpose for one in this life. Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35) The bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." (John 6:33)
The Word of God as bread . . .
How do we live on the bread from heaven -- the word that comes from the mouth of God? Jesus said, "I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me". (Mat 4:4) "My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work". (John 4:34) . This Jesus has now given us his word (John 17:14) and has sent us into the world just as he himself was sent by the Father (John 17:18). If we keep his word and do his will, we will feed on the bread from heaven.
The Living Word as Bread . . .
John recorded at the start of his Gospel, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the word was God. . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us". It is therefore not surprising that Jesus said "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day . . . Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him". (John 6:53-56) How do we quench the thirst and satisfy the hunger that only heaven can meet, with the word that was the express image of the invisible God? By accepting the sacrifice he made on the cross -- believing that he gave his body to be torn and shed his last drop of blood, that our sins may be forgiven and we may have eternal life. He also promises to live inside us and take us to heaven. Each time we partake in his last supper, we are reminded of his sacrifice to make us partakers of his heavenly glory and his indwelling presence to transform us from glory to glory.
Let us take our eyes from food that satisfies our physical and material needs of this life - success, prosperity, health - and set our eyes on the food from heaven that will lead us to eternal life. The word of God is the food from heaven that has come out from the mouth of God, and we feed on the heavenly manna by keeping his commandments while living on this earth. Jesus himself is the word that is the ultimate expression and revelation of who God is, who has given himself for us as the bread of life. Let us take this bread . . . have Jesus himself in us, that we may share in his glory.
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Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Short-cuts lead us nowhere
We often look down on Jacob (whose name means 'deceiver') and look up to men like Abraham, Joseph and Daniel, all along assuming in our sub-conscious mind that we are somewhere in between Jacob and the other greater men in the Bible. We do not realize that if we can readily identify with someone in the Bible, it is Jacob.
Jacob was a man of short-cuts. He wanted to quickly grow up in life, without the attendant effort and hard-work. My 6-year son who fondly watches stories on Kids' channels, and is greatly amused by the magical powers of the whiz-kids that star in them, once remarked that he would love to have those powers as he can get great grades without having to study !! Grown-ups too are often like that -- only not so naive but very sophisticated and subtle.
Let us focus on Jacob for a while. Two of his infamous short-cuts readily come to our mind. His elder brother Esau by way of birthright probably was poised to inherit twice as much property (sheep, cattle, men-servants & maid-servants) from his father as Jacob himself will. Certainly, over time Jacob can get wealthier than Esau -- it could only require patience, hard-work and perseverance. Jacob figured an easy way out. He took advantage of his brother's despairing moment. When Esau once returned from the open country, without success in hunting and famished, and desired to have the stew that his brother was cooking, Jacob demanded that he sells his birthright and got it for the bread and lentil stew that he let him have (Gen 25:29-34).
Do we not do the same? We try to inherit the result of someone else's hardwork. At the workplace, when something good comes out of collective work, or worse still, out of the efforts of all the rest in the team, have we not tried to be the first to announce it to the Company and together with it be the beneficiary of all the accolades and rewards. If we have, we have been a Jacob. In Lev.19;11,13, we are commanded "Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not defraud your neighbour or rob him".
There are those who may not stake claim of others' deeds, but decry and belittle anything that others did. Such people use different yardsticks for themselves and for others. When they do something, it is heculean; when others do the same, it is just extra-mile. When they commit a blunder, it is just a mole-hill; while others commit the same, it is himalayan. The Bible warns us of using different yardsticks: "Do not have two differing weights in your bag -- one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house -- one large, one small" (Deu. 25:13,14).
Jacob attempted short-cuts not just with men but even with God. Having deceitfully got the birthright, he did not hesitate to have heaven's blessings too - that his father would pronounce on his favourite son Esau - through deceit. Teaming up with his mother, he set out to decieve his father who was going blind with age. He put on his brother's clothes that carried scent of the open country he goes hunting into, covered his hands and neck with goatskin to impersonate his hairy brother, took the meat that his mother cooked from the choice young goats in his father's flock, and decieved his father that it was Esau who has come back with his wild game as his father had wished (Gen 27:6-29).
Is this not very common with us? We think we can decieve God with our praises, our offerings and tithes. We think that it does not matter who we are internally, as long as we present ourselves in the right way to God. We are often the Jacob deep within, presenting ourselves as Esau who deserves the heavenly father's blessings. We do not forgive others but presume ourselves to be broken-hearted pleading for God's mercies. One who attempts to deceive God is in effect deceiving himself. The Bible clearly admonishes us, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (I Sam 16:7).
Jacob had to learn his lesson the hard way. He had to run away from his home, to an uncle at Paddan Aram he has never seen, for fear that his wronged brother would kill him. The man who thought he had won wealth and God's blessings is reduced to a desperate state. He pleads with God at Luz (which he renamed Bethel) on his way to Paddan Aram, "if you will be with me and watch over me on this journey and give me food to eat and clothes to wear, and bring me safely to my fathers house . . . (Gen 28:20)"
Jacob ultimately realized that one's smartness (read it as conniving) does not bring prosperity. The twenty years of hardship and toil tending his uncle Laban's flocks ( 14 years for having Rachel's hand in marriage and another 6 years for flocks as wages during which time he got his wages changed unfavouably ten times) taught him the lesson of his life: "If God had not been with me, I would have been sent away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands (Gen 31:42)".
We all need not have to learn this lesson the hard way - by commiting the mistake in our lives and receiving correction at God's hands. We can rather learn it from Jacob's life. Let us trust God for our growth and lean not on deceit. In due time, he will lift us up.
Jacob was a man of short-cuts. He wanted to quickly grow up in life, without the attendant effort and hard-work. My 6-year son who fondly watches stories on Kids' channels, and is greatly amused by the magical powers of the whiz-kids that star in them, once remarked that he would love to have those powers as he can get great grades without having to study !! Grown-ups too are often like that -- only not so naive but very sophisticated and subtle.
Let us focus on Jacob for a while. Two of his infamous short-cuts readily come to our mind. His elder brother Esau by way of birthright probably was poised to inherit twice as much property (sheep, cattle, men-servants & maid-servants) from his father as Jacob himself will. Certainly, over time Jacob can get wealthier than Esau -- it could only require patience, hard-work and perseverance. Jacob figured an easy way out. He took advantage of his brother's despairing moment. When Esau once returned from the open country, without success in hunting and famished, and desired to have the stew that his brother was cooking, Jacob demanded that he sells his birthright and got it for the bread and lentil stew that he let him have (Gen 25:29-34).
Do we not do the same? We try to inherit the result of someone else's hardwork. At the workplace, when something good comes out of collective work, or worse still, out of the efforts of all the rest in the team, have we not tried to be the first to announce it to the Company and together with it be the beneficiary of all the accolades and rewards. If we have, we have been a Jacob. In Lev.19;11,13, we are commanded "Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not defraud your neighbour or rob him".
There are those who may not stake claim of others' deeds, but decry and belittle anything that others did. Such people use different yardsticks for themselves and for others. When they do something, it is heculean; when others do the same, it is just extra-mile. When they commit a blunder, it is just a mole-hill; while others commit the same, it is himalayan. The Bible warns us of using different yardsticks: "Do not have two differing weights in your bag -- one heavy, one light. Do not have two differing measures in your house -- one large, one small" (Deu. 25:13,14).
Jacob attempted short-cuts not just with men but even with God. Having deceitfully got the birthright, he did not hesitate to have heaven's blessings too - that his father would pronounce on his favourite son Esau - through deceit. Teaming up with his mother, he set out to decieve his father who was going blind with age. He put on his brother's clothes that carried scent of the open country he goes hunting into, covered his hands and neck with goatskin to impersonate his hairy brother, took the meat that his mother cooked from the choice young goats in his father's flock, and decieved his father that it was Esau who has come back with his wild game as his father had wished (Gen 27:6-29).
Is this not very common with us? We think we can decieve God with our praises, our offerings and tithes. We think that it does not matter who we are internally, as long as we present ourselves in the right way to God. We are often the Jacob deep within, presenting ourselves as Esau who deserves the heavenly father's blessings. We do not forgive others but presume ourselves to be broken-hearted pleading for God's mercies. One who attempts to deceive God is in effect deceiving himself. The Bible clearly admonishes us, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (I Sam 16:7).
Jacob had to learn his lesson the hard way. He had to run away from his home, to an uncle at Paddan Aram he has never seen, for fear that his wronged brother would kill him. The man who thought he had won wealth and God's blessings is reduced to a desperate state. He pleads with God at Luz (which he renamed Bethel) on his way to Paddan Aram, "if you will be with me and watch over me on this journey and give me food to eat and clothes to wear, and bring me safely to my fathers house . . . (Gen 28:20)"
Jacob ultimately realized that one's smartness (read it as conniving) does not bring prosperity. The twenty years of hardship and toil tending his uncle Laban's flocks ( 14 years for having Rachel's hand in marriage and another 6 years for flocks as wages during which time he got his wages changed unfavouably ten times) taught him the lesson of his life: "If God had not been with me, I would have been sent away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands (Gen 31:42)".
We all need not have to learn this lesson the hard way - by commiting the mistake in our lives and receiving correction at God's hands. We can rather learn it from Jacob's life. Let us trust God for our growth and lean not on deceit. In due time, he will lift us up.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Balm to soothe our Pain
No one can escape pain in his lifetime. It therefore helps to understand how God views our pain and where he figures in our world of sorrow and pain. The Bible makes it amply clear that our creator God feels our pain, helps us bear the pain, redeems our pain and ultimately removes our pain.
The King on the Judgment throne tells the righteous on his right, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". When they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, invited a stranger, clothed a naked, cared for a sick and visited a prisoner, they had done it all to Jesus. Every time a hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger or prisoner was comforted, Jesus himself had been comforted. He also tells those on his left, "whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me". So whenever a hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger or prisoner continued in his predicament without comfort, Jesus himself had been denied comfort. (Mat 25:34-45). How comforting to know that our God feels our pain -- whether it is that of hunger, thirst, loneliness, sickness or shame.
God reveals through prophet Isaiah, "In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old". (Isa 63:9) Irrespective of how the pain was caused - by devil's specific targetting as with Job, by accident when a nature's law is violated, or by rebellion against God as with the Israelites - our Lord does not leave us alone. He has promised in Isa 43:2, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze". How heartening to know that our Lord helps us in our pain - he will be right beside us in our hour of grief to carry us through.
He is a god who brings out streams in the desert. He is our eternal Provider who bestows on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isa 61:3). The greatest example of how he redeems pain can be seen in Jesus. When Jesus hung on the cross, he was considered stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. He was in effect taking away our infirmities and carrying away our sorrows. We were brought peace from the punishment that was upon him. We were brought healing from his wounds. How encouraging to note that our Saviour redeems our pain - what our foes (including the devil) intend for harm, he intends for good.
The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Rom 8:22). Sin has caused God's beautiful creation to stray from the trajectory that the creator had launched it on. The creator's finger is on the button like that of the Authority watching a Rocket's launch to determine if it is on erratic line of flight and needs to be commanded to self-destruct. A day is coming, when all the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll (Isa 34:4). He will then wipe every tear from all eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. How glorious when our Healer will remove our pain - he has already provided the way through the cross.
Therefore in times of pain, let us persevere. Peter tells us that "when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised (Heb 10:36)".
The King on the Judgment throne tells the righteous on his right, "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me". When they fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, invited a stranger, clothed a naked, cared for a sick and visited a prisoner, they had done it all to Jesus. Every time a hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger or prisoner was comforted, Jesus himself had been comforted. He also tells those on his left, "whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me". So whenever a hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, stranger or prisoner continued in his predicament without comfort, Jesus himself had been denied comfort. (Mat 25:34-45). How comforting to know that our God feels our pain -- whether it is that of hunger, thirst, loneliness, sickness or shame.
God reveals through prophet Isaiah, "In all their distress he too was distressed, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and mercy he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old". (Isa 63:9) Irrespective of how the pain was caused - by devil's specific targetting as with Job, by accident when a nature's law is violated, or by rebellion against God as with the Israelites - our Lord does not leave us alone. He has promised in Isa 43:2, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze". How heartening to know that our Lord helps us in our pain - he will be right beside us in our hour of grief to carry us through.
He is a god who brings out streams in the desert. He is our eternal Provider who bestows on us a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair (Isa 61:3). The greatest example of how he redeems pain can be seen in Jesus. When Jesus hung on the cross, he was considered stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. He was in effect taking away our infirmities and carrying away our sorrows. We were brought peace from the punishment that was upon him. We were brought healing from his wounds. How encouraging to note that our Saviour redeems our pain - what our foes (including the devil) intend for harm, he intends for good.
The whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time (Rom 8:22). Sin has caused God's beautiful creation to stray from the trajectory that the creator had launched it on. The creator's finger is on the button like that of the Authority watching a Rocket's launch to determine if it is on erratic line of flight and needs to be commanded to self-destruct. A day is coming, when all the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll (Isa 34:4). He will then wipe every tear from all eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. How glorious when our Healer will remove our pain - he has already provided the way through the cross.
Therefore in times of pain, let us persevere. Peter tells us that "when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised (Heb 10:36)".
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
On Life's Journey
Our journey in life towards eternity very much mirrors Israelites' journey from slavery to Canaan. The Lord heard the cry of the Israelites from their state of slavery in Egypt and decided to take them into a land flowing with milk & honey. (Exo 2:23b,25, Exo 3:7,8, Deu 8:7-9) In life's journey too, we face sickness, death, catastrophes, etc., in this world (Rom 8:22) but we are headed towards a new Heaven and new Earth, where there will be no death or mourning or crying or pain. (Rev 21:1,4)
We can learn 3 things from the Exodus which is a 'type' of the real journey called life:
1. The Lord gave 3 miracles for Moses to perform and prove to the Israelite leaders that the Lord has indeed seen their plight and has sent Moses & Aaron. The people believed their message after seeing the signs (Exo 4:29-31) but at the first difficulty they faced, they got discouraged and pleaded to be left alone. When Pharaoh asked the slave drivers to make work intense, they forgot God's message and His signs. (Exo 5:1,6,9,20,21, Exo 6:9b) Even so, a lot of us come to Christ and start on our journey after God intervenes in our life - say through a healing or a miracle in answer to our prayers - but we get discouraged so quickly when we face difficulty. We fail to recognize that the Lord who gave us 'starting' power can also sustain us with 'staying' power. This mistake comes from lack of right knowledge and expectation. The Bible tells us that in this world we will have troubles (2 Tim 3:12) but asks us to be of good cheer as he has overcome the world. (John 16:33b) Our expectation is not like that of the pessimist or the Stoic who anticipates the worst and thinks that is the best way to handle it. Our expectation is that there could be difficulties but He will be with us and see us through.
2. When they faced the Red sea with the Egyptian army charging behind them, they were again dismayed. (Exodus 14:11-13) Very often when we face difficulties, we assume there is no way out. We think of some solutions to our problems and when we do not see those solutions materializing, we lose all hope. We fail to understand that what we think as solution with our limited knowledge need not be the best or the only solution.
When caught in traffic, someone inside a car may have no idea how to get out of it. A police man on the road, at the intersection may have a better idea of what is the best way for any vehicle to get out of the jam. Better still, someone hovering about 50 feet above in a helicopter may have the best idea how long this will take to clear and what is the best way for vehicles to untangle. Our view is like that of the person inside the car, or with some additional research/ knowledge like that of the policeman, but our good Lord has the best view.
God's response to the Israelites in this juncture was to be still. (Exo 14:14, Psa 46:10a) It is possible to remain still only if we have faith that our Lord is with us and will see us through. Let us trust the Lord who told "if you believed, you will see the glory of God" and stand firm until we see the miraculous deliverance from the Lord, just as he lead the Israelites on dry ground after parting the sea.
3. When they had no water, and again when they had no meat, the Israelites complained and even cried, and pined for the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlics and meat that they had in Egypt. (Exo 16:3, Num 11:5,6,10) Of the hundreds of thousands who started on the journey to Canaan, only Moses, Joshua and Caleb lived to see the land of plenty because they strained towards what is ahead forgetting what is behind. Like the majority of the Israelites, we often get fixated on some material losses and lose sight of our destination -- we trade with the eternal for the temporal. We often direct our efforts and prayers at getting material blessings (of this world) but remain weak spiritually. The bible says if you falter at times of trouble, your strength is feeble. (Pro 24:10) We need to wait on the Lord, and renew our strength as the eagle, and rise up. (Isa 40:31, Psa 103:6) Very often we just interpret this verse physically and ask for good strength even as we age but fail to realize that inner strength is important. Our faith in times of adversity will be only as strong as we are in our spirit. We need to consciously keep building up our inner man. Else, the devil will use life's difficulties to deter us from our path.
Let us never forget that we are on our way to heaven. The Lord who brought us onto his highway with signs and wonders is an Almighty God and his arm is never too short. He is a God who makes a way for us, where there seems to be none. He has promised to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. (Isa 45:2) While we will see his glory if we believed, we are also to remember that if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (I Cor 15:19) Let us therefore look ahead to our reward and not be bogged down by what we have or do not have in this world. We have miles to go.
We can learn 3 things from the Exodus which is a 'type' of the real journey called life:
1. The Lord gave 3 miracles for Moses to perform and prove to the Israelite leaders that the Lord has indeed seen their plight and has sent Moses & Aaron. The people believed their message after seeing the signs (Exo 4:29-31) but at the first difficulty they faced, they got discouraged and pleaded to be left alone. When Pharaoh asked the slave drivers to make work intense, they forgot God's message and His signs. (Exo 5:1,6,9,20,21, Exo 6:9b) Even so, a lot of us come to Christ and start on our journey after God intervenes in our life - say through a healing or a miracle in answer to our prayers - but we get discouraged so quickly when we face difficulty. We fail to recognize that the Lord who gave us 'starting' power can also sustain us with 'staying' power. This mistake comes from lack of right knowledge and expectation. The Bible tells us that in this world we will have troubles (2 Tim 3:12) but asks us to be of good cheer as he has overcome the world. (John 16:33b) Our expectation is not like that of the pessimist or the Stoic who anticipates the worst and thinks that is the best way to handle it. Our expectation is that there could be difficulties but He will be with us and see us through.
2. When they faced the Red sea with the Egyptian army charging behind them, they were again dismayed. (Exodus 14:11-13) Very often when we face difficulties, we assume there is no way out. We think of some solutions to our problems and when we do not see those solutions materializing, we lose all hope. We fail to understand that what we think as solution with our limited knowledge need not be the best or the only solution.
When caught in traffic, someone inside a car may have no idea how to get out of it. A police man on the road, at the intersection may have a better idea of what is the best way for any vehicle to get out of the jam. Better still, someone hovering about 50 feet above in a helicopter may have the best idea how long this will take to clear and what is the best way for vehicles to untangle. Our view is like that of the person inside the car, or with some additional research/ knowledge like that of the policeman, but our good Lord has the best view.
God's response to the Israelites in this juncture was to be still. (Exo 14:14, Psa 46:10a) It is possible to remain still only if we have faith that our Lord is with us and will see us through. Let us trust the Lord who told "if you believed, you will see the glory of God" and stand firm until we see the miraculous deliverance from the Lord, just as he lead the Israelites on dry ground after parting the sea.
3. When they had no water, and again when they had no meat, the Israelites complained and even cried, and pined for the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, garlics and meat that they had in Egypt. (Exo 16:3, Num 11:5,6,10) Of the hundreds of thousands who started on the journey to Canaan, only Moses, Joshua and Caleb lived to see the land of plenty because they strained towards what is ahead forgetting what is behind. Like the majority of the Israelites, we often get fixated on some material losses and lose sight of our destination -- we trade with the eternal for the temporal. We often direct our efforts and prayers at getting material blessings (of this world) but remain weak spiritually. The bible says if you falter at times of trouble, your strength is feeble. (Pro 24:10) We need to wait on the Lord, and renew our strength as the eagle, and rise up. (Isa 40:31, Psa 103:6) Very often we just interpret this verse physically and ask for good strength even as we age but fail to realize that inner strength is important. Our faith in times of adversity will be only as strong as we are in our spirit. We need to consciously keep building up our inner man. Else, the devil will use life's difficulties to deter us from our path.
Let us never forget that we are on our way to heaven. The Lord who brought us onto his highway with signs and wonders is an Almighty God and his arm is never too short. He is a God who makes a way for us, where there seems to be none. He has promised to break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. (Isa 45:2) While we will see his glory if we believed, we are also to remember that if only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. (I Cor 15:19) Let us therefore look ahead to our reward and not be bogged down by what we have or do not have in this world. We have miles to go.
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