Numbers 20:8a, 9-12(ESV)

Originally published 09/24/2015

This was one of the best days of Moses life and one of the worst. The people of Israel had no water for themselves or their animals and were complaining that Moses was trying to kill them. God told Moses: "Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water.” . . . . ”And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?" And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them'" Numbers 20:8a, 9-12 (ESV).  Moses and Aaron insulted God by taking credit for the water by saying "we bring water" instead of God bringing it. Also, Moses did it his way, he struck the rock instead of speaking to the rock. But God in his mercy gave the people water as he planned. God takes obedience seriously. As punishment, neither Moses nor Aaron were allowed to enter the land of promise. Lord, give me the honesty never to take credit for things that you do through me. Give me the boldness to do exactly what you tell me, and when I do disobey you, don't let it stand in the way of you helping people.

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