
I have a confession: I don't read my Bible nearly as much as I should. I made a goal of reading through the whole Bible by the end of this year, and y'all... I'm still stuck with the Israelites wandering the wilderness. Nevertheless, I opened up my Bible to Numbers this morning to see what the Israelites were up to, and like manna from Heaven (no pun intended), I found a nugget of truth that my spirit needed today.
Let me give you the skinny on this era of the Israelites before we dive into Numbers. The Israelites, crowned God's people, were once slaves in Egypt. God appointed Moses, who had Pharaoh's attention because of holy intervention, to lead his people out of Egypt. After some trials and tribulations (and more trials and tribulations), the Israelites bounced and headed toward the land God had promised them—rightly named the "Promised Land." But the Israelites were *boujee* and *messy* and angered God with their unfaithfulness and disobedience. It's all rather dramatic—with good reason, mind you. But dramatic. Because God is full of grace and love, he forgave them over and over and continued to provide for them on their quest.
In Numbers 11, the Israelites, who numbered more than 600,000 at the time, were unhappy with the food God had provided them and begged (whined, actually) for some meat. And Moses was so over it, and he went to God and asked for help.
I love how Moses talked to God. He approached him with reverence but also recognized God as his companion and partner. He was real and raw with God—even a little bit of a smart elec. For example, in the conversation I'm referring to, he tells God (Numbers 11:21, NIV):
"But Moses said, 'Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!' Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?'"
(L O L. The sass that came out of this man. And the Bible refers to him as the humblest man on Earth? Maybe there's hope for me!)
Here's the power of this conversation:
"(23) The Lord answered Moses, 'Is the Lord’s arm too short? Now you will see whether or not what I say will come true for you.'"
Phew—let that sit for a minute. Is the Lord's arm too short?
I've been struggling here lately with life getting back to normal, and it hasn't helped that I have put a lot on my plate. Work, school, starting a Foundation, church activities, a new puppy, travel... it's been a lot. And frankly, my body hasn't caught up to speed yet. I'm not firing on all cylinders. I talked to my counselor about it, specifically that I was afraid I would neglect my health amid my crazy life. She told me to write down the perfect self-care daily routine, and as I fleshed it out, it seemed nearly impossible to check all the boxes and do what I needed to do in a day. This may sound silly in the grand scheme of what I have prayed for in the past year, but I went to God and asked that He help me meet my daily self-care goals because what I had written down was important to me but unattainable. Again, this ask sounds silly and small, but here's the thing: God can handle the big stuff and the small stuff in our lives at the same time. Is the Lord's arm too short?
Speaking of the Foundation (more info on that soon, I promise), I have some lofty goals for it. I'm talking about BIG goals. God-sized goals. As we build, we continue to be blessed on top of blessed, but there is still a big gap to fill before we can launch. Whenever I consider the lengths we have to go to launch, I falter in my faith and wonder if we can ever reach the massive goals we have set for the future. But as I read this passage in Numbers, I see God smirking at my anxiety, asking me from his throne, "Is the Lord's arm too short?"
Have mounding debt you can't get out from under?
Is the Lord's arm too short?
Received a scary diagnosis and yearn for healing?
Is the Lord's arm too short?
Been searching for a job and been told, "no" one too many times?
Is the Lord's arm too short?
Looking for a partner but all you find are duds?
Is the Lord's arm too short?
Need intervention with a long-lost friend or family member?
Is the Lord's arm too short?
Faith is hard. I get it. But God's question to Moses illustrates that His reach is infinite, and we can go to him for help with anything. He is always faithful to answer our call.
Oh, if you don't have the time to read the end of Numbers 11, God gave the Israelites their meat... with a healthy side of correction and discipline.
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