King James Daily Bible Study: You Are Valuable To God
Date: Friday February 18, 2011
Chapters: Numbers 12-13
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-february-18
Details of Today's Reading: God rebukes the murmuring of Aaron and Miriam, Moses' brother and sister, Miriam is struck with leprosy, then healed at the prayer of Moses, twelve men are sent to search the promised land of Canaan, and their report of their findings.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
Perhaps one of the most frustrating things as a Christian is the constant criticism we face because we choose to follow Jesus Christ. Family, friends, and even other Christians reject us, mock us, and make us feel as though we have some type of plague. Jesus says, “And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” - Matthew 10:22. We are going to face adversity because we chose Christ, but we can endure all through Christ who dwells in us and is our strength. Together we can say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me...But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:13,19.

Aaron and Miriam were probably the most influential people in the camp, Aaron, a prophet, and the head of the service of God, Miriam, a prophetess, and first rank among the women of Israel. Both were discontent and began complaining about Moses. God heard the complaining and called them all out of the tabernacle.

“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” - Numbers 12:1-8.

The marriage of Moses with a foreign woman was not prohibited, so long as she was not of the heritage of Canaan. What Miriam was really upset about was the fact that Moses had authority over her. She thought that since she and Aaron were prophets that they also had a say in the leadership of the Israelites. What she failed to realize was that God Himself gave Moses the orders on what to do, so, when she questioned Moses' marriage to a foreigner, God took it personally as if she was questioning His orders. God will defend His people, Jesus said, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.” - Matthew 18:6.

If you are living right by God you can expect criticism from fellow Christians. Why? It could be several reasons, jealousy, envy, but perhaps the number one reason why Christians knock other Christians is due to sin in their lives. If a person is living in sin he is much more prone to search and point out others in hopes that no one would find theirs out. Jesus said, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” - Matthew 7:2,3.

God promises to always take care of and protect His faithful servants, but fear can often get the best of us, which keeps us from letting God bless us with what He really wants to give us. The time had come for the Israelites to see the promised land, the land flowing with milk and honey. God instructed Moses to send twelve men, one from each tribe, to check it out.

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them. And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the wilderness of Paran: all those men were heads of the children of Israel...And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there...And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” - Numbers 12:1-3,25-31.

If you have trusted in and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, then you are a child of God, in fact, you are a saved child of the living God. Praise God! And because of that God wants to bless you even more simply for the fact that you believe in His Son. Do you think that those who live in the world do not see how bless you are? Oh, they might criticize and mock you, but they see how much God has done for you. More often then none we hinder ourselves from receiving those blessings because we are afraid of what they will do to us. Jesus said, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:28-31.

You are very valuable to God, do not be afraid, get up and dust yourself off, God is speaking to you, one on one, He wants to assure you that everything is going to be alright and He's got your back. “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 8:33-39. Praise God!

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Moses, who was very meek (humble). “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” - Matthew 11:29.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you, enjoy your weekend,
Christina

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