Devotionals

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Listen and Believe!

“Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.” Numbers 20:8

Moses had experienced the miraculous power of God. God was using him in a mighty way. He had used his rod to separate the Red Sea. He had used his rod to bring water out of the rock. Again, the children of Israel needed water and so God responded. But this time, God was moving Moses on. His rod was not the means of the miracles, God was. So God commanded Moses not to strike the rock for water (as he had done in the past), but to speak to the rock. Moses was being directly challenged to trust God, not the instrument that God had previously used to perform miracles. God was ready to move Moses on in his walk with Him. Talk about being pushed out of his comfort zone – Moses was told to gather the congregation and speak to the rock to bring out the water, in front of them!

Moses did not do what God had commanded him to do. He struck the rock with his rod. Did God show him up? No. He still performed the miracle. He was not going to disappoint His people. However, the punishment for Moses not listening and obeying was going to be very severe. He was to forfeit leading the people into the promised land.

As Christians, we can get caught in a routine or a pattern for our trust in God. I remember as a teenager being 'taught' how to pray for healing. It had three distinct stages. First of all, praying for healing. Second of all, speaking to the illness and telling it to be gone in the name of Jesus, and third of all thanking God for the healing. That was the 'perfect' formula to see healing! God, being God honoured that while I was young. He is a gentle God, just like He was with the Israelites, He still gave them water. But as I've grown up spiritually, I've discovered one thing: there are no formulas with God. For each circumstance, I need to listen and obey. When I pray for somebody, I need to ask God to give me guidance on how to pray for that situation.

God cannot be simplified to fit into a man-made formula. The source of His power does not come from a rod, a pray, a chant or a 'proven-to-work' formula. The source of His power comes from His goodness, mercy and grace. We cannot do anything to earn his power.

It's easy as we embrace a new era in our lives to rely on the old ways of working. But God is doing a new work in your life. The past is behind, the future is ahead. God is calling you into a new and deeper walk with Him. What is the formula for this new walk? Listen to Him. Read the word, meditate on the Word until you hear His voice speaking to you. How do you hear Him? Well, begin by simply getting a note book and jotting down any verses that stand out to you while you're reading the bible. Then write down any significant thoughts that you have as you spend time in his presence. As you read back, you may see a pattern of God speaking to you through your thoughts and the scriptures that you've written down. Some people hear the audible voice of God. Other people hear that gentle voice through something they see in nature or in the quiet of their room. Listen to God. Open your spiritual ears and truly listen. You'll be amazed at what God says when you stop to listen. Give Him room to talk. Give Him time in your life. Sometimes, just wait in His presence. Then when you hear, don't be afraid – God will not let you down – trust Him and obey.

Prayer:
Lord, help me to not get stuck trusting in past experiences, but let me be stretched out of my comfort zone so that I can grow in you. Help me learn to listen to you and then give me the faith to obey. In Jesus name, Amen.

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