ESOCS Devotional 17 November 2022
TEXT: NUMBERS 12:1-16
MEMORY VERSE: “Then the Lord said to Moses, “If her father had but spit in her face, would she not be shamed seven days? Let her be shut out of the camp seven days, and afterward she may be received again.” Numbers 12:14
0 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. 11 But when the multitudes knew it, they followed Him; and He received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. 12 When the day began to wear away, the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the multitude away, that they may go into the surrounding towns and country, and lodge and get provisions; for we are in a deserted lace ”
Mariam and Aaron spoke against Moses because he had married an Ethiopian woman; and Mariam got into trouble with God. She became leprous and was cast out from the camp seven days. There are lessons to be learnt here. God is very jealous about His priests and messengers. We must be careful how we treat them. They are His agents. If we dishonour them, we dishonour God in the process, and offend Him; and the consequences are usually not beneficial to anyone. Some people have the attitude of judging and condemning them. This is wrong. The best we should do is to get close to them and give them wise counsel; and then remember them in our prayers continually, that God may preserve them from the spirit of error.
When Mariam was cast away from the camp because she sinned against God, she remained outside the camp in loneliness for the period. While she was there, she did not share in the spiritual food, which is the word of God. A sinful lifestyle would do the same to us. Sin removes us from the presence of God. It takes us away from the family of God. Such a condition would make us lose communion with the Holy Spirit. We would not partake in the word and wisdom of God that would help us to “… diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6).
There are benefits, privileges, and blessings for people who belong to God’s family. In that period of seven days, Mariam lacked them. She was completely on her own. If we do things that would take us away from the presence and family of God, we would lose many things. His protection would elude us. His comfort would not be there for us. We would lack His care. We would be like a fish that is cast out of water.
Let us understand that whatever we do, God sees us. There is no hiding place from Him. Whatever we say, He hears it. This calls for us to be cautious. We need to guide our actions and dispositions carefully. As Christians, we should not resist the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we grieve Him by our conduct. When He is leading us to be dead to the world, we set our hearts to love the things of the world. We go to unholy places where He would not be found, such as the theatre, night clubs, and other such places. We do unrighteous things that provoke Him to anger. But He would want us to pursue holy living so that He may indwell us. He is the One by who we were sealed unto salvation – the Holy Spirit of promise, as the Scripture says: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. 1:13).
We are set apart as children of God through the effect that the Holy Spirit produces in us. Let us not do things that would make Him withdraw from us.
CHALLENGES
- List the things you do that may grieve the Holy Spirit and begin to eliminate them from your life.
PRAYERS
- Pray the Holy Spirit to dwell richly in you.
Read Yesterday’s ESOCS Devotional here
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