Join us for Day 17 of Soul Detox and then join us for discussion and community in the comments below!
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32 thoughts on "Day 17"
Day 17
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32 thoughts on "Day 17"
Hi Everyone,
I'm new here just found this all through YouVersion and I love reading all your stories. I'm a graduate student with 2 big kids, 23 and 14. We've been through a lot together and God has been faithful to repair us as a family and individually!!! I have been hearing this verse for a week and 1/2 now. WOW all about Moses and Aaron. Ken Davis speaks to the college grads at Liberitiy Convocation on Youtube and it is excellent! God Is So Awesome ;D Karen
I LOVED Junebug’s story about her daughter…that is such a perfect analogy! In the reading, I love how God gives Moses some extra assurance and assistance. How wonderful to picture God as our great big security blanket. Whenever we begin to worry or fear, we simply wrap ourselves up in God’s love, where we surely will feel safe and secure.
My what ifs:
1. What if someone brings up stuff I’ve done in my past life? Can I confidently tell them I’m over it or will my kneels buckle and will I crumble?
2. What if I’m not really touching anybody’s life for God?
3. What if people don’t like me?
God’s response to me: I have made you and no one else made you with me! Now go! I will be with you as you speak and I will instruct you in what to say and do. I will hold you securely, steady as a post ( paraphrased Exodus 4:12, Psalm 63:8)
We might look at Moses and think “what a fool” but he is quite like us. Inspite of the fact that God had appeared to Moses in a burning bush, inspite of the fact that God had done miracles with his body and with his staff, Moses still said that he was a horrible speaker and his words always got tangled up. One thing I learned this morning is that God wants to use me inspite of myself not because of myself. Because of Moses’ unbelief, his brother Aaron became his mouth. I don’t want my unbelief get in the way of God using me for great things. Fear and faith cannot be in the same heart. It’s one or the other. Praying for everyone doing this devo. You women are an encouragement to me! Words cannot even begin to describe
I love what Autumn posted about God using us in the midst of our what if's. So powerful. In a life often plagued by doubt, fear, and a healthy amount of cynicism, it is Good to know that I can be used by God. Because it is not about me. God's hope will be fulfilled in the world and God invites me to be a part of the story even if I will only consent to a minor role.
This entire passage spoke to me! I just had a conversation with my husband today about WHAT IF…What if is scary. It means that you're not focused on the IS you can see but the IS as stated in He was, IS and is yet to be! What IF, we finally saw ourselves in the was, is and yet to be! Oh how my heart wanted to cry when I read the scripture. I wanted to cry THANK YOU LORD because it was exactly what I needed to hear today!
Reading "Then the Lord ’s anger burned against Moses…"
I flashed back to an episode with my 5 year old daughter. While at a public restroom it came time to wash her hands with one of those automatic faucets that turn on when it detects your hands are there. She had a bad experience one time when the water that came out was hot and it burned her hand. Naturally, this time she was so full of anxiety to put her hand in the water. So I did EVERYTHING to convince her that the water was not going to burn her.
I put my hand in it, even letting the water splash on her hand a little. I presented the most logical argument a 5 year old could understand but still the fear was so overwhelming. She just could not trust that what I was saying to her was true and shrunk back. I felt myself getting soooo frustrated that she didn't trust me. Her mommy! Afterall, we had places to go and errands to run on schedule. I was angry that her fear was holding us all back. I'm her parent, I told her, and would never put her in danger, but still she resisted in tears.
I wonder if God feels that way about me when I pull back from his commands due to fear. When I don't trust him. Am I'm holding his "body" back from fulfilling the plan? I know God can do anything…without little 'ole me. But could it be done simpler, and smoother and more quickly if I only trusted him and leaned on his promises? Oh God, let me plow through my fear and believe what you say is true!
Karen I love your friends tag!
Amy I’d love to just trust and believe He wants great things for us- I know He does- we’re His children after all! But it’s always so easy to drown in the what-ifs… I feel like I’m not covering my bases if I don’t! I’ve got to turn that thought process around. I have absolutely become soo much more aware of toxic thoughts, actions, and what I say and how I say it from this study that I’m confident I’ll be a much more positive person.
I pray the Holy Spirit will guide my thoughts and actions. That I’ll convey or radiate that goodness that shines thru when someone is at peace in the Lord…
Have a Blessed Day!
Valerie that is so true! What if we just trust that God has us in his care and truly wants great and wonderful things for us? Yes, bad and sad things happen in this sinful world, but this is what was chosen by humans! God never wanted this world for us, he wanted us to dwell in the garden forever. We can't "what if" our lives away, but it is so easy to get caught up in!
My “What if’s” ? Today I feel them deeply. What if I say the wrong thing, can’t speak or pray correctly for God? My insecurities, like Moses’, are ready to cripple me in my faith.
Yesturday, I met for a church bible study, and we were asked individually to pray out loud. I was afraid of speaking public words, yet my private prayers are so full of faith…it made me realize that I just need to step out, and “let God”, as my comfort levels r being pushed (like you Kellie!)
Candacejo, Thank you. I laughed out loud reading your post, and you r so right. Let God stay up all night…!
Prayers and blessings sisters!
the "what-if" fear is definitely something that i struggle with. it just seems natural/normal to always ask the negative what-ifs in situations. i even justify it by telling myself i am being "responsible", "concerned", "level headed" etc. by trying to figure out all of the possible outcomes.
but then i read the devotional this morning that said "Fear is having faith, but it's placing your faith in the wrong things. Fear is placing your faith in the "what ifs".
that was an eye-opener for me. i do not want to place my faith in the wrong things – especially the "what ifs".
the only "what if" i want to meditate on is – what if i trusted God?
I was also struck by the fact that even though God became angry with Moses, He still provided what Moses needed to ease his fear. What a great, loving, wonderful God, who sees our moments of fear and doubt and still provides for our every need. Hallelujah!
I must confess I'm such a Moses! Always looking for excuses NOT to do what God has asked me to do. How I can be steps away from a burning bush that is never consumed & yet distrust the Lord's direction for my life is a mystery.
Father, help me today to put to death the sin of questioning the Word of I AM.
I was struck by the intro to the devo today about how fear is a type of faith. I have never really thought of it like that. This makes my "what-if" thinking look silly to me. I guess I do often think of a what-if scenario and then my mind sees it as a very probable event. It is weird but I am growing and learning. I praise God that he listens to all of my fears and worries and for the peace he brings.
My "what ifs" are like stray bullets that come out of nowhere (well, we know where they come from!). I may be reflecting on how thankful I am for my children or my husband and a few moments later my mind follows a rabbit trail of wondering and worrying "what if" God decided to take them home? How crafty the enemy is at turning my praise into fear!
I had an "aha" moment a couple of weeks ago, when I began to understand Jesus words "Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Matt 6:27) I had read that verse a hundred times, but the Lord finally brought it home. God already knows the plan he has for me, and it is a GOOD plan (Jer. 29:11). And I know that trials and heartbreaks will come, but my worrying about the possibilities of HOW they will come WON'T CHANGE A THING about future circumstances, but will change everything about my attitude and effectiveness today.
When I choose to follow the "rabbit trail of fear", I sacrifice my joy and my peace – the wonderful blessing of trusting Him completely in THIS MOMENT, (which, in this lifetime anyway, is the only one we have any guarantee of). He has been so faithful in bringing me through every difficulty thus far, and miraculously, has brought beautiful things out of my worst messes. He is trustworthy!!
Thank you Lord, for your faithfulness and for your patience as we learn to trust you. For holding our tomorrows and for your abundant blessings today.
I have never commented before, but HAD to when I read your words. They spoke right to my heart as this, too, is my fear daily/ hourly. I go right from looking at my children and thinking how amazing they are to a panic stricken mess because I am terrified that God will call them home while I am still alive and I will have to live without them. THANK YOU for giving me the scripture and sound reasoning I needed to soothe this heart. God bless!!
You too, Krista. Thanks for sharing!
here is the verse that spoke to me today:
The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord ? (Exodus 4:11 NIV)
My what-ifs have to do with, a. work. What if I can't solve a problem for a customer? Well, this verse says God made my mouth, my intellect. he will help me. Other what-ifs, of course, have to do with the unknown or what if my husband gets sick or what if he dies, etc. what if our rent goes up more than we can afford? A whole bunch of those. i read today in my bible reading, can't remember which verse, that fretting leads to evil. Ouch!
Loved this passage today! In looking at many of my what if fears, the reoccurring theme is a fear of failure. It looks like Moses was no stranger to this fear either, and I love how in vs. 12 God tells Moses that he will be with his mouth and teach him what to say. So often I worry that I won’t have the right words to say or the capacity to understand and ask for help in a certain situation-but God simply says “no, go ahead and I will be with you, I’ll tell you what to say”. Holding fast to this truth today!!
Wow, this devotional spoke DIRECTLY to what I posted about yesterday. Funny how God works like that, huh? I wrote that I suffer from "end of the world syndrome" where all of my fears and doubts multiply themselves and I start to feel like it's the "end of the world" when one of my "what ifs" surface. Well today I woke up to a nice little slap in the face….the devotional telling me that those "what ifs" are my fears. My faith misplaced. I need to recognize those thoughts for what they are…toxic. I need to work on trusting that God has given me the strength and the tools to face those fears. And even if I feel incapable of facing them alone, God has provided me a husband who can help me through my fears just like God provided Moses with some human assistance. So "what if" I fail at school/career/etc.? God has a plan for me, regardless. Such a great devotional…excited to put it to work! Have a blessed day =)
I think women are the Queens when it comes to the "What ifs" and worries of life. It is our job to worry about everything whether it has happened or not, right? I have always been a wringing-of-the-hands-the-sky-is-falling-worry-wart as they say. And never proud of it! But it just seemed to dawn on me one day in prayer…..isn't God good like that?!……that this was HIS job, not mine! God was going to be up all night anyway, why not let Him handle the situation! He beckoned me from His Word, time and time again! "Casting all your care upon Him for He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 and "…The Lord will fight for you; you need only to keep still!" Exodus 14:4.
And of course there are hundreds more! Why worry about tomorrow when it isn't even here yet? So every day I just give my burdens to the Lord, literally, I just pretend sometimes I have laid out a blanket in front of me, put them all inside and wrap it up! Then I just lift them up and give them to Jesus. He knows what to do with them friends! Sometimes I do forget! And that worry-wart in me creeps back in but I don't like her! I prefer the peace that comes from letting HIM run my day!
Be blessed!
I want to give you 5 thumbs up; well said! Loved your line…"God was going to be up all night anyway" what a humorous but true way to look at it. I'm a worrier as well and deal with anxiety. I didn't realize until I found SRT that I needed or even could give my worries to the Lord and I tell you I've done it time and time again and it feels like a weight has lifted! I love Exodus 14:4 "the Lord will fight for you; you need only to keep still" I try to keep reminding myself of that!
I also appreciate the line, "God is going to be up all night anyway." Seems a bit pointless for us both to spend the whole night thinking about the situation, whether it be finances or raising children or insecurities or the future. I'll let Him do the heavy lifting and I'll just focus on sleeping–I'm better at that than running the Universe, anyway.
I find myself relating to Moses in this passage. There have been countless times where The Lord has prompted me to do something and I instantly question my ability to do it for him. God saw the potential Moses had, God knew Moses was just the man for the task.So this will help me next time I feel prompted. …..I was also fascinated with all the signs The Lord was giving to the people Moses was going to speak to. When making a major life decision how many times have I asked for a sign? or thought if God could just hit me over the head with His will. God has always answered my prayer for that, it may not be the answer I am ready to hear or see but he is faithful.
So, my what "ifs"…What if they think I'm crazy? What if I fail? What if I make a complete fool of myself=God. What if I am wrong? …then there are those fears that are really irrational, my sweet husband will stop and ask me, "What are you so afraid of?"..Those times I can't always put into words what it is. BUT like Moses my God puts people in my life that help me come down from the what "if" mountain and see the signs for the way.
*Autumn, pointing out that The Lord was faithful in giving Moses what he asked for. I did not see it that way either! That really opened that part of the passage up for me. Thank you!
I too ask for signs and when I'm not hit over the head with the answer I think he hasn't heard me. Sometimes I'm sure I miss the signs and other times I think he wants me to work for it. I can't just set and wait for the answers I have to go out and find them and he will guide me there. And you are very right, sometimes it's not always the answer we are ready to hear.
One thing that blows my mind about this passage is that Moses stood in the presence of God, who performed three miracles in front of him (the bush, the staff, his hand) and Moses STILL questioned God! I think it speaks to just how much Moses did not want to do this task that the Lord gave him. I think a good question would be "Think of your equivalent to this story. What would God ask you to do? How can you exercise faith and courage in situations like that?"
What are some of the "what ifs" that fuel your fears? There's no way I'm listing these… there are too many! I would really like to shift my bad what-ifs to good what-ifs. Instead of "What if they don't like me?" I'll try to think "What if they like me a lot?" If I think "What if I fail?" I'll think "What if I am successful beyond what I can imagine?" I believe positive thinking allows us to be more of who God intended us to be. I know I limit myself when I think negatively, and I box myself in instead of thinking about the possibilities.
that is an awesome idea! I am going to use that. Like, for me, instead of, what if I can't solve this problem? maybe, what if I figure it out and then make the customer really happy? then, I will feel I have really accomplished something! Oh i love this!
Thanks Autumn for sharing your reflections on this passage! What a GREAT perspective that I totally missed. Loving this SRT community for this very reason! What a wonderful, awesome, generous, merciful God we serve, huh?
My “what ifs” are mostly focused on the future: what if we never have children? what if we never get our debt paid off? what if we’re never able to build our dream home on the land we bought 6 years ago? I guess I never thought these were fear-based. But what else would they be? They are certainly not positive thoughts. They are negative, toxic. I need to focus on the here and now and in doing God’s will and being pleasing to my Heavenly Father and trusting in Him to take care of my future. Have a blessed day, sisters!
What are some of the “what ifs” that fuel your fears?
Again thankful for this devotional because it is bringing to the surface so many things. Even though they may be difficult to face, I know that God loves me and wants me beyond all of this so that He can use me.
My prayer for everyone reading this today is: We will continue to trust You Father more and more each and every minute of each and every day. We will go through every situation knowing that it is there to mold and shape us into a vessel fit to be used by You. Help us to focus on You, I AM, instead of “what ifs”. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
i totally struggle with the "what ifs".. and it's almost always my fear that prevents me from trying something or communicating my true feelings. i am trying very hard (with God's help) to turn my "what ifs" into positives.. i am trying very hard to give my fear & worry to God. to let go, and let God.
Exodus 4:12-16 NIV
Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” Then the Lord ’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. – Ex 4:12-16
What struck me about this straightaway was that, even though God told/wanted Moses to just go and obey Him, and though He wasn’t exactly pleased that Moses asked Him to send someone else, God did as Moses asked him to. Moses asked for human reassurance, a security blanket…and he got it. As a naturally insecure person, I found this very interesting and comforting. We should all just take God at His Word, and that should be the end of it, but He is so merciful and understands our hangups…even when it still might be best for us to just “get over” those hangups, and He still uses us. He didn’t just get fed up with Moses and pass him over when he requested that God find someone else to deliver Israel; God gave him some immediate, tangible human help he could see, but the main “job” was still Moses’s. I think that’s pretty awesome and find it encouraging as I sit in my bed this morning contemplating getting out of the bed and facing the day.
What ifs? Yeah, I’m no stranger to ’em. I hate that I react more in fear than I act in faith. I retreat instead of advancing. I try to escape and just wait, longing for death and heaven. But, I’ll say it again, God gives more grace! And, daily, I am progressing, thankful that, yes, although I have my many hangups, I am beloved and still usable in His Kingdom. Hallelujah!
Well-said!
I can relate to reacting more in fear than acting in faith. How much patience our Father has when we are slow to act on His will. My friend has a tag-line on her emails that say "don't tell God how big your storm is; tell your storm how big God is."