FEELING OVERWHELMED?

“But Moses said, The people among whom I am are 600,000 footmen (besides all the women and children), and You have said, I will give them meat, that they may eat a whole month!  Shall flocks and herds be killed to suffice them?  Or shall all the fish of the sea be collected to satisfy them?”  Numbers 11:21-22 AMP

“The Lord said to Moses, Has the Lord’s hand (His ability and power) become short (thwarted and inadequate)?  You shall see now whether My word shall come to pass for you or not.”   Numbers 11:23 AMP

You have to give Moses credit; leading more than 600,000 people must have been daunting.  Can you put yourself in his shoes?  How would you feel if you had people coming to you again and again complaining about how things were going?  He was overwhelmed.  He went to the Lord about it, “I am not able to carry all these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me.  And if this is the way You deal with me, kill me, I pray You, at once…”  (vs. 14-15a AMP)

God heard Moses’ prayer and He provided for him.  He instructed Moses to gather seventy of the elder men of Israel, bring them to the tent of meeting and let them stand there with him.  God came again to talk with him with those men there and He took of the Spirit which was upon him and put it upon them.  They were chosen to bear the burden of the people with him.  When Moses’ was overwhelmed, God was able to meet his need.

Yet again there was a struggle within Moses.  Even though he had witnessed all the miracles of God already (plagues in Egypt, crossing of the Red Sea, giving of the Ten Commandments, feeding with manna, and now God’s Spirit set upon other respectable men to help him) he was still coming from the attitude of being overwhelmed because the people were still complaining.  Now they wanted meat to eat and this time, like all the other times of complaint, they always compared what was going on to what they had in Egypt.

“We remember the fish we ate freely in Egypt and without cost…” (vs. 5a AMP)  (How easily they forgot there was a cost, slavery.)  “…but now our soul (our strength) is dried up; there is nothing at all (in the way of food) to be seen but this manna.”  (vs. 6 AMP)

So Moses cries out to God again and in an overwhelmed attitude he asks, “The people among whom I am are 600,000 footmen (besides all the women and children)… Shall flocks and herds be killed to suffice them?  Or shall all the fish of the sea be collected to satisfy them?”  The task seemed impossible to Moses.  Why?  Moses was still trying to see the need met in man’s way.  “How can I provide enough meat for them to eat?  Even if we kill all the flocks and herds it will not be enough.  This is impossible!”  The key thing that Moses had to grasp is that he could not in any way, shape or form accomplish the task, but that God could.  God was able.

God’s anger was kindled against Israel but he seems to patiently, if not firmly, wake up Moses to Who was able to do it.  Has My “(ability and power) become short (thwarted and inadequate)?  You shall see now whether My word shall come to pass for you or not.”

Do you feel overwhelmed right now?  Does something in your life drag you down and seem beyond what you can humanly do?  Moses and I are here as witnesses that you cannot do anything about it, but God can.  Reach out to Him right now and tell Him how you feel.  When you are overwhelmed, God is able!

WHILE I AM HERE – Part III

“Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness, as you teach and admonish and train one another in all insight and intelligence and wisdom [in spiritual things, and as you sing] psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, making melody to God with [His] grace in your hearts.”  Colossians 3:16 AMP

What is the key to living a victorious life while on this earth?  Every Christian would like to know.  Every believer has sought the answer to this question at one time or another.  Yet so many of us go from one trial to another and continue to struggle with our Christian (Christ-like) walk.  Turmoil and stress brings unrest.  How can anyone be Christ-like if they are always struggling inside?

“I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]”  John 16:33 AMP

Jesus knew we would have trials, distress and frustration but He did not want us to succumb to them.  He has ALREADY provided a deliverance from them.  “That is all and well,” you say, “but, under the circumstances, it does not really make me feel any better.”  How can it make you feel better if you are “under the circumstances”?  Get out from under them.  How?  “Let the word [spoken by] Christ (the Messiah) have its home [in your hearts and minds] and dwell in you in [all its] richness…”  Jesus said, “I have deprived it (the world) of power to harm you.”  He did not say He would remove the trials, tribulations, distress and frustration.  He said that he has already taken away their power to do any harm to you.

So, when you are distressed take a moment and remind yourself that He said He has ALREADY conquered this distress for you.  When you are going through a trial remind yourself that He said He has ALREADY overcome it for you.  When you do this you are allowing the spoken word of Jesus have its home in you, actually dwelling in you “in all its richness” and you will find that although you are still going through the trial it is no longer tearing you down, but His Word is building you up.