Moses goes up the moutain with a cell phone.

I got a new phone.  I’ve been happily downloading apps all week.   I can now track my Christmas purchases, blog, play a myriad of word games, track my running, banking and movie purchases and I have three different reading programs.   Just because I thought it was cool I downloaded the entire works of Shakespeare, the US Constitution and the Bible.   I signed up for a daily Bible reading program to attempt to keep my priorities straight.   Before I allow myself any Facebook or Bananagrams I read my Bible.   I’m working my way currently through Exodus.

I’ve read all about how Moses went up the mountain and had a conference with God.   God laid out the laws he wanted the people to follow.   Three chapters.

I hear people say all the time that the Bible has too many rules.  I think God did better than us.   The US Civil Code currently has 51 books, its revised annually.  In addition to civil code there are currently four thousand four hundred and fifty federal crimes.   This does not include any state or local statutes.   The American Bar Association website sports eighty four topics of research.  My favorite book on their best seller list was The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law.   Frankly, I think the Bible was pretty concise.

Moses went down the mountain and gave a report.   Mind you, they’d just been dramatically rescued from slavery and seen the Red Sea so they were in an amiable mood to accept rules from the One who’d saved them.    Exodus 24:7 says the people said “All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient!”   I like the exclamation point.

Moses goes back up the mountain.    God resumes the conference with Moses.   He’s gone forty days.  It takes eight chapters.  God lays out the plan for the tabernacle, offerings, priests clothing, alter and or meeting place.  This is very exciting.  Slightly overwhelming.  I’m sure Moses was panicked.   The creator of the universe wanted to spend time with His people.   Moses is writing all the details down.  Surely he’s trying to figure out where he’s going to find someone who knows how to carve Acacia wood or spin fine linen.

This is what I do.  When I feel like God has asked me to do something I charge out with lots of questions.  How am I going to do this?  Who am I going to find to help?

Guess what.    Chapter 31 God says to Moses “See, I have called by name Bezalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.  I have filled him with the Spirit of God in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge and in all kinds of craftsmanship to make artistic designs for work in gold, in silver, and in bronze…” It goes on from there.

I love this.   God had a plan.  I need to remember this next time I spin into overdrive.

So Moses goes down the mountain all ready to give the good news to the people.  God is coming to meet with you!   You promised to listen to what He said so He’s coming to lead us!    Moses has been gone a month.  And the people….were….worshipping a golden cow.    Just lovely.

I do this too.   I see God do amazing things in my life.   I promise to listen.   I get tired of waiting.   My attention wavers.   I end up over in a corner obsessed with something other than what’s eternal.   Sigh.   Golden Cows.   Like Facebook.

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Sufficient

I’ve had a rough patch here.  A couple days ago my spouse asked what was wrong.   I told him I was sad.   I think it’s a combination of exhaustion, the last dredges of a cold, some lingering culture shock and a frustration about a lack of a buyer for our house.   We would have to decide to sell our house in the worst realty sales month on record in the last twenty years.  Nice timing.

I’m not the sad type.   I tend to run as a fairly stable person.  This means that I’m not usually the one to call on if you are looking for a party but I do work fairly well as a designated driver.    We did a personality test one time at marriage retreat.   My spouse was a golden retriever.  Golden Retrievers are caring,  loyal, and consistent.  I was a lion.   Lions get a lot done, aren’t scared to attack a problem and have a bite when they are cranky.   Go figure.

Ever struggle with a bible verse?  I do sometimes.  It’s because I personally believe that the Bible is true.   So if there is something I read that I don’t like I struggle.   But I have to tell you I still believe its true.   So…here you go….I’ve got one for you.

II Corinthians 12:9 ‎”But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Most people love this verse.  My grace is sufficient for you.   What a wonderful truth and strong place to ground your feet.   That’s not the bit I struggle with.  I don’t particularly like the I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships bit.    I’d rather delight in the answers to prayer that go the way I want.   I’d rather that those insults stop.  I’d rather that the hardships go away.   But here is what I need to remember…

It’s not about me.

Encouragement Notes

Thanks to Vickie C. for sending with us daily encouragement notes with Bible verses and a candy. It has been a huge help to get a tiny taste of home and some food for our hearts.

A box of raisins with a note that says “We’re Raisin good kids”.

One day we had an extra starburst (You are a Star Volunteer) which we gave to our guard at the guest house. He jumped up and down and said SUGAR. ITS GOOD ITS GOOD.

Then we pointed out the bible verse and he asked if we had a bible. One Rwandan guard is now the proud owner of a pocket size English Bible. I’m not sure if he wanted it for the financial value to resell, for the chance to learn English or because he is a believer. However I know that the Bible he now holds says that God’s Word will not return void so pray for this man and that this Bible will travel far into the hearts of these people