Women of the Word {Job's Wife - don't do the devil's work}

Did you ever consider that how you behave as a wife can be the "devil's work"?

As we are travelling through scripture, looking at the women there, the book of Job comes next.  Job is such an incredibly challenging book.  It's that man who drives us to our knees in the realisation that we have SO far to go in our Christian walk. We are nowhere near that close walk that he experienced with God.  That position of righteousness, and integrity - of a heart and life that beat in unity with God's desires and commands.

With heart-rending realisation, I look to Job's wife, and regrettably find that I am far more like her, than I am like Job.

She doesn't get much of a mention, but what we do hear is a striking polar opposite to her husband.

They are equal partners in the most heart-rending of the experiences, sent to try Job.

She was equally the parent of the children, tragically killed.

Likewise, she was equally enabled to have the free will to choose how to respond to it.

She was obviously not walking with God in the same manner as her husband, because, quite simply, she did the devil's work, in the life of her husband.

As you will remember, Satan came to God, who put Job forth as an example of an upright man.  In response, Satan challenged that God had put a hedge of protection about him, and blessed him - surely if he had a bit of tragedy inserted into his "perfect" life, he would soon curse God? God gives Satan free reign to throw whatever trials at him, as he pleases, but to spare his life.

Satan takes all Job's worldly gain.  All that he had worked for - gone.

Satan takes his children. The thought of this breaks my heart - I have 8 children of my own, and the thought of them all being taken, in one foul swoop, is simply beyond my comprehension.  I'd be devastated.

But, in this, he sinned not, and instead, he WORSHIPPED, and gave thanks to God.

Wow.

Just wow.

That is a man walking right beside God.

Then Satan strikes at his body.  He is covered from head to toe with boils.  He took a piece of broken pottery to scrape the mankiness of the boils from off his skin.

As he sits, in the ashes, surrounded by the devastation of loss, his wife comes long and does the devil's work.

"Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die."

Job 2:9

Do you remember what Satan's aim was? His desire was for Job to curse God.

Here comes his wife, telling him, in actual WORDS, to do just that.

She was doing Satan's work.

Had you ever considered that before? I hadn't.  I knew it was part of his trial, but that she was actually doing exactly what Satan desired?  Hadn't thought of that.

Do you realise that you could be doing Satan's work, as a wife?

How?

Well, think firstly of this specific example - the example of what Job's wife attempts to do.

If you encourage your husband to sin, it's the devils work.  If you encourage your husband to have attitudes or reactions which are sinful, it's just the same. If you are a moaner, a complainer, a manipulator, a  contentious wife, you tempt your husband to sin. You are putting your husband in a place that makes it hard to do the right thing, and far easier to fall himself, if you behave in way that tempts him to sin, too. Tempting him to sin is just like a prostitute coming to a man and enticing him to sin. Tempting.  Luring.  Making it hard to say no.

Think about those moments when your temper has been lost, and you have been cross with your husband.  Does that not lure him to react in the same way back?  You lose your patience, he loses it right back?  Neither right, but the one who starts it off sets of the domino effect that can soon knock over every ounce of self control you should have had to begin with.

Think of those times when you come to him with words that tear down and destroy.  If you are negative, narky and critical, you are tempting your husband to be bitter, resentful and retaliatory.  You are critical, he's critical back. It takes more self control and sanctification NOT to react to a wife like that, than it does to to just fire it straight back.

If you are a wife who is quick to complain and grumble, you will entice your husband to be less-than-generous. He will tempted to be a husband who would rather not help and bless, because you just don't have a thankful and grateful heart, as you ought to have.

Naggers?  There lieth the epitomy of a wife doing the devil's work.  The book of Proverbs says that it would be better for a husband to go and live in the wilderness than to have to listen to a wife who is a nag.  Why? To get away from her sinful behaviour, lest he is negatively affected by it, too! Wives, you KNOW it tempts your husband to sin when you nag.  It tests the patience of the proverbial SAINT to have a nag in his ear hole. Nagging is the devil's work.

"the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping."

Proverbs 19:3

Have you ever had a dripping tap?  We have had a dripping shower, recently.  It was right  next to our room, and we did everything we could to stop it - we have resorted to turning off the isolation valve so no water can get out, because it was so irritating! It tests patience.  Same with nagging. A nagging wife will test the patience of her husband, pushing him to a place where he is more likely to snap and succumb to a sinful reaction. It's just a fact.

If  you are a wife who does not encourage her husband to be everything he should be spiritually, by turning a blind eye to his sinful behaviour, or even encouraging him in it, then  you are doing the devil's work.  Some wives seem to think that being submissive means being silent. No, no, NO.  You cannot be a more loving, supportive, and encouraging wife, than to be one who kindly, but honestly, points out sin where it exists.

Oh, my "Job's wife" heart.

It's me.

It's me FAR too much, and but for the grace of God upon the heart of my husband, much like righteous Job, he would have sinned more than he has.

I thank God for the grace He has extended upon MY life - how He has stayed the hand of Satan, and put a shield of protection both around me, and around our marriage.

But, no person is immune to the devices of the devil.

No marriage is immune to the deceits of Satan.

No siree.  We are all susceptible, and need to be on continual guard.  Don't let Satan get a foothold in your life, and in your marriage.

Another principle that Job's wife needed to learn from Job, and we do well to learn, too?

"shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?"

God sends us good things.  Blessing upon blessing.

He also allows the traumatically trying.

Things that would drive us to despair.

Things that could force a wedge into a marriage.

Things that could cause us sadness of heart, mind and soul, and agony of body.

But, in all of that, we must NOT curse God.

WE MUST NOT.

We need to get down on our knees, and WORSHIP.

Oh, Lord, give me this grace!  Give me this heart, and soul, and voice!  To worship, in the hardest of hard times.  To praise and worship thy Holiest of Holy names in the STORM.  When I am worn, weary and weeping - PRAISE HIM.  Acknowledging every good thing, to counteract the weight of the trials.  To lift my eyes to my great creator God, in the agonies of my humanity.

In every trial of my life, turning my eyes upon Jesus, and not tempting others to sin.

May the Lord keep me from being like Job's wife, and more like Job himself.

God's way, the high way {making beauty, from the mess}

Today was the day.

The day I had been busily planning for, for weeks.

Today was December the first.  The day we would start our month of giving. All of our fun activities.

Our giving.

Our focussing on the Saviour.

The greatest Gift of all.

It wasn't quite the day I had planned.

We all slept in, then the children had jobs to do, then I had jobs to do.

Before I knew it, it was only 30 minutes until lunch.  I wanted, desperately, to start well, so we read our scripture, and we read our "Giving" challenge for today.  We were planning to make a gift for some family we are visiting.

We also planned to sort the clothes from last season, to get stored away, and thin out what we had, to give to charity, when we put them away in boxes.  It was a job we planned to begin today, but knew it wouldn't get finished until Wednesday. That was fine.  The boys brought it all to the dining room, and the girls sorted it out.  Success!

I planned to read Jotham's Journey in the evening, before bed.  I had it all organised, in my mind. My mother-in-law also gave us an Advent Candle, that we planned to light whilst we read.

The afternoon held a trip out to the shops.  I needed some craft supplies for our home-ed group on Thursday, and we needed to pick up some new shirts for the boys, for our photo session tomorrow.  As with all plans involving a trip out with eight children, it never takes as little time as you expect.  ALWAYS more.  We had a lovely wander around The Range, but it just took longer than I planned.  By the time we got home, it was almost time for dinner, so the craft didn't get started.

Dinner, clear up, messing around, and FINALLY we began the craft activity, whilst I read Jotham's Journey.

Candle lit, reading started - then began the interruptions.

Children asking for help with the craft, little ones getting tired and cranky, and me not being very patient.  Then I noticed the time, when my patient husband phoned, wondering when he should come home to eat.... it was 8pm!

So, Jotham was paused , and I told them we would read extra tomorrow.

Then came teeth brushing, children crying and having accidents, and finally, bed.

It was not the way I planned it.  There had been tears, tantrums, impatience, and a complete deviation from things being the way I hoped.

It was messy.

It was imperfect.

It was REAL.

Yet, there was still beauty at the end of it all.  We had still learnt of God, and His plan for salvation.  We had thought upon giving and generosity.  Seeds were sown in their hearts.

We had created gifts, that I KNOW the recipients will love, because they were created by children, longing to love others.

There was mess, and plans which didn't work, but beauty came, in spite of my plans failing.

It pointed me to my Saviour.

It pointed me to a truth I read, just this morning.

"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD,he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. 

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:7-9

Our lives our ruined by sin.  All our ways are nothing, because the imperfection of sin taints them.  No matter how hard we try, we will fail.  We are sinners by nature, and our heart is inclined toward sin and self.

Yet, God has mercy.  He ABUNDANTLY pardons. He makes beauty, out of our mess.

Why?

Because His thoughts and ways are so much higher than ours, in that place that forgives, despite what our puny minds can understand. It's not dependant on our perfection, but upon His greatness, mercy and grace.

Despite our messy, broken days, we can start again the next day, back on track, because He abundantly pardons.  We turn from our sins, turn our back on what we have done - on the mess, the failings, and the imperfections - and start over again, through His ways, higher than ours. Through His mercy.

Oh, how thankful I am, that despite the mess I can make, and the days, spiritually, which don't turn out how I planned, God's ways are higher.

Out of the valley {filling in the gaps}

Have you ever travelled through a valley?  It can be quite a daunting journey, especially in gloomy weather.  We once travelled through the Highlands of Scotland, to get to the Hebrides, and it was a dreech day. Those valleys seemed never-ending, and the journey seemed even darker at those points.  The mountains rose beside us, making us feel very tiny and vulnerable.  It was much better when the cloud lifted, and we got into more open roads.

Often in scripture, valleys are points and references to doom and gloom.  Battles would happen in a valley, because it was a place where one side was vulnerable, and easily attacked.

We also have the well known verse in Psalm 23.

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death"

It's a valley that holds the shadow of death itself.  You can't get much darker than that.

The "mountains" of our circumstances can tower over us, and make us feel very, very small.

It can feel that we are wading through a darkness that is never going to pass.

There is depression, anxiety, doubt, and fear.  Many, many women have a tendency to think of ourselves in a low way - we see our negatives, our failings and our faults. Like we find in The Pilgrim's Progress, we fall into slough of despond. Overwhelmed by our circumstances.

When we get into that place, it is an obstacle to being in a place of blessing from the Lord. We're stuck in the valley, far from the mountain top where He longs to encourage and bless.

Our sin can make us feel like we are in the valley.  Whether it's the sin you feel, because you are a sinner who has never trusted in the Lord for salvation, or if you are a child of God who is acutely aware of their sinful nature daily battling with the Spirit.

There are many things happening in the world today that make us feel like we are in a valley - the valley of death itself.  So much fighting, death, pain, and hurt.  It aches my heart to hear of things that are happening around the world, and even closer to home.  It can make us feel very low.

Last Lord's Day Robert preached from Isaiah 40. He read a verse that I have heard many times before, as well as heard it sung as part of Handel's "Messiah".

"Every valley shall be exalted"

I had never really about what it really SAID.

The valleys will be "exalted".  Well, we know what a valley is - it's that low point, between the hills or mountains.  What about "exalted"?  It means to be "lifted up".

So, if valleys are going to be lifted up, it means they are gone - they are brought up to the same level as the mountain top.

That's exactly where the Lord wants us to be - in that place where He came to be that blest Saviour and comforter to us.

To be there with Him, we need to lift ourselves out of that valley.

 See what else Isaiah says?

"Prepare ye the way of the Lord"

Prepare YE.

We cannot slip down into that valley - the valley of despair and misery - and just sit comfortably, waiting to be air-lifted out. The air-rescue don't know that someone needs to be rescued if they don't put in some effort to alert the rescuers.  We need to exalt those valleys, and claw our way out to the Lord.  If we come to the Lord, He will come to us.

We need to cry out to the Lord, and make our way to Him.

The Lord came to bring us out of those valleys.  He came to save and to BLESS.  He wants to bless, but until we prepare the way, it won't happen.

We need to turn our back on the valley - turn away from those things that would make us doubt and despair - and lift our eyes UP to the one who can bless and encourage us.  Who will fill us with His love and grace.

It is no passive experience.

  "Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them. 

  Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

They go from strength to strength"

Psalm 84:5-7

This Psalm shows us the way out of the valley - placing our strength in Him.  Making our way one that is in HIS ways.  We pass THROUGH the valley - and it is filled with water and rain - the blessings of God.  We GO from strength to strength.

We don't sit, huddled on the valley floor, silently waiting in vain hope to be refreshed and lifted up.

No.


IN Him.

Our WAYS.

Passing THROUGH.

GO from strength to strength.

There is action required, by us.

The Psalms are filled with things that the write "will" do, and the resulting blessing that ensues.

We need to DO.  We need to be a woman who says "I will".

"I will rejoice"

"I will praise"

"I will be glad"

"I will sing"

"I will bless the LOrd"

"I will be satisfied"

"I will love thee"

"I will trust"

"I will call"

"I will declare"

"I will pay my vows"

"I will fear no evil"

"I will walk"...

I could go on - that was only up to Psalm 26, out of 145 "I wills" in the Psalms alone!

Valley experiences are both real and no respecter of persons.  They happen to us all.

Women who feel they are failing in their parenting skills.

Women who doubt they are doing the right thing in the choices they make.

Women who look around and see others, then fall foul to the comparison bug.

Women who have regrets and remorse for sin, which they fear is too great to allow them to have fellowship with their Saviour.

We cannot allow these valley moments to keep us from blessing.

Prepare ye the way of the Lord.

Come to the Lord, with a heart empty, ready to be filled.

Turn your back on your circumstances, doubts and fears, and lift it up to a place of communion with the one who can fill the valley like a well, with waters of blessing.

God is still great.  God is still good.  His ways are still perfect.  He is still able to do exceeding abundantly above all we can ask or think.

We only need to remove that obstacle to blessing, and climb out of the valley, and level it with the mountaintop.

Don't be discouraged, sisters.  The Lord has come - He is our Saviour still - He LONGS to bless.

Exalt your valley.

Day 2 - Deep roots and Dead shoots {5 Days of Spring Life-lessons}

Today, following on with our "Spiritual lessons from Spring", we are going to look at that nasty old subject of WEEDING! The Lord really spoke to my heart as I worked on this tedious job, last weekend. I trust what I learnt will challenge your heart as it did mine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I got out into my garden at the weekend, I spent most of my time sorting out things that were not "right".  Due to unavoidable neglect, there were plants that needed to be trimmed back, and weeds EVERYWHERE.

Yup, it's the basics of gardening.  Weeding, weeding, weeding -  pruning, pruning, pruning.

It's not the relaxing time you have, when sit out in the garden surrounded by tidy borders, flourishing plants, and general beauty.  Unfortunately, you will not get to do that if you DON'T do the "mundane" jobs.  A garden will not grow when it's overrun with weeds.

Weeding is NOT easy, though.  The amount of times, the other day, when I audibly sighed, because I didn't get all the root of a weed dug out, are many. Those big, nasty weeds, with long, deep roots.  More often than not, I would manage to snap the root and not get it all out.  I KNOW that weed will be back, because if you don't get all the root, then it will regrow.  Many of the weeds were easy to pull up, as the root hadn't got deep enough. Those types of weeds were numerous, though.

Oh, how this reminded me of my sin!  If you don't get it dug out, and dealt with quickly, the roots go down, and it makes it harder and harder to dig back out of your life! When you *DO* start attacking it, and trying to get rid of it, if you don't get right down to all the root of it, it will just sneak back up again.  The sighing I did over my weeds, is far less than the sighing I do over my sin.

The little weeds of sin also easily crop up, and equally need pulling up and getting rid of. It's a constant thing, and I am reminded that I need to keep going into my garden to pull those weeds up, all through the year, just like I need to go the Lord every day, confessing my sins, and pulling them up out of my life before they take root.

It also serves to remind me of how child-training should be.  It's all about a constant work that we must do, in order to train up our children in the way they should go. We need to nip wrong  behaviour in the bud - consistently and constantly ensuring that we reinforce the truths that we are teaching them.  Like those little weeds, that are everywhere, it's time consuming but vital. It's a hard job for us mothers, in particular. SO often we feel like we spend the whole day reprimanding our children, and Daddy comes in at the end of the day and gets the "fun" part. Don't be weary in well doing, for in due season we SHALL reap if we faint not!!! WE MUST BE CONSISTENT! Trust me, I speak to my own heart first, here. Our job is a privileged one - the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. We have an important job to do, and the Lord is pleased  when we spend time getting those "weeds" pulled up in the lives of our precious children.

Like the deep rooted weeds, there are certain sins that must be sorted very particularly whilst they are young. Disobedience and disrespect, lying, stealing - these all cause major problems as they grow older, because once they take root, they are harder to sort out.

I need to just mention something here, which often seem sot be neglected in many websites, articles and blogs I read - particularly in America. We can NOT save our children, but we still have a serious responsibility to teach them what is right and wrong - disciplining for the wrong and praising the right - because that is that pattern God has set for us. Obviously, unless the Lord works in the hearts of our children, these things will only be done out of respect and obedience to us as parents, and moral duty, rather than being spiritually motivated. If we DO train them, before they are saved, it will make things far easier for them once the Lord works in their hearts, and the Lord can use our faithfulness to challenge them of their need of salvation.  I will deal with this more on Day 5.

Also in my garden, as well as the weeds, there are the dead and straggly shoots which need to be cut back. Ideally, I should have done this job at the end of the growing season, rather than being at the beginning of the new - needs must!

Some of my plants, due to the warm winter, had carried on growing when they normally would die off. As the winter is colder, though, they were simply straggly, rather than bushy and strong.  If I want good growth this year, I needed to cut it all back, to allow for new growth.  Other plants simply had dead stems and flowers, which had to be removed.

Spiritually speaking, there can be things in our life that we need to cut back on, in order for growth to happen. If we look at our life carefully, we may have things that are taking up too much time, or are not a wise use of our time. Maybe it's the company we keep - it may be stopping us from growing closer to the Lord. Perhaps it's even things that are good, but they are just not providing nourishment spiritually, and they need to go. Maybe there are things that are stopping us from fulfilling the duties that we have, and we need to be wiser about how much time we devote to them.  Each of us will have a totally different perspective on this, because our lives are so varied, so I won't give specific examples. We just need to prayerfully consider our lives, and see if anything needs "pruning".  Just like the plants in the garden, often when we cut back on certain things, we will find we grow so much stronger spiritually, and produce more fruit in out lives, as a result.

The same applies to our children. Are we allowing them to spend too much time doing certain activities, which aren't actually doing them much good? Perhaps too much screen time, or too many games - too much reading poor book choices, or the company they keep? They can also have too much "free" time, without enough focus and management of time, leading to bad behaviour. Cutting back can produce a "stronger" child, in their character and behaviour.

It is my desire to take a good hard look at my life and our family, and see if there is some weeding and cutting back that we need to do, to help us all grow.  Digging out those roots, and cutting back the shoots.

Matriarchs on a Monday - Rahab

Rahab - this is one lady who I always struggled with.

Because she was a prosttitute?  No.

Because she told a lie, in order to hide the spies.  I could never quite understand why that seemed to be, well, ok?!  She was still saved, despite sinning to help the spies.

However,  I was thinking about her in the summer, as I was teaching a lesson about her, at our Holiday Bible Club at Church.

Rahab was considered worthy, to be mentioned in the "Hall of Faith" in Hebrews chapter 11.


"By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace." 

Hebrews 11:31

Ahhhhh!  So, this is a blog post about faith!!??  We need to live a life of faith, right?  We need to trust God for everything?

No....and yes!  No, the post is not about faith. Yes, we do need to live a life of faith and trust God for everything! 

When I got thinking about Rahab, a simple, yet deep and profound truth rang out to me, amidst all that you could sling against the character of Rahab.

Grace.

Simply. Grace.

What is grace, exactly?

God's unmerited favour.

But, do  you know what?  Unmerited simply tells me that I have done nothing to MERIT His favour.  When, in fact, I have actually done things that "DE-merit" His favour.

I am undeserving of any favour, because I am a filthy, wretched sinner, in the sight of a holy God.  I can do nothing - NOTHING - to merit esteem...

"What was there in me that could merit esteem,

Or give the Creator delight?

‘Twas even so, Father, I ever must sing,

Because it seemed good, in Thy sight."

(author unknown)

I have sinned....oh, how I have sinned.  I have done SO much that would remove me far from God's love and mercy - far from communion with Him.

But, oh!  God's grace.  His merciful, full and free grace.  His love for hell-deserving sinners, that led Him to die upon a cruel cross, and take the punishment that I deserved.  So that I could be saved from an eternity without Him, in hell.

So, Rahab.  Who was she?  She was a sinner.  She was a harlot.  She was a liar.  She was....exactly the kind of person that needed TO be saved.  Like me.  Like you.  A sinner.  That simple.

Was being a harlot worse than being a liar?  Sin.  All sin.  All sinners.  We are ALL sinners.

And, by God's grace....by her faith, trusting in the one true God alone to save...by His grace, she WAS saved.

"for by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" 

Ephesians 2:8

God's gift to Rahab...through her faith...was salvation.

God's gift to us....through faith....is salvation.

A gift so undeserved.  DE-merited, from receiving the gift of His grace.  Undeserving.

Ahhhhh - this is what makes it grace.  

Undeserving merit.  

Undeserving love.  

Undeserving favour.

How can we look at Rahab, and see anyone other than ourselves?

Sinners.  Deserving destruction.  But saved. Saved from destruction, by God's grace.

How can we do anything but thank Him?  Thank Him for His grace. For without it, we, too, would be condemned for destruction, as all those other occupants of Jericho, so long ago.

May we never cease to thank Him, for His great mercy toward us.  His grace.  His all-sufficient grace. 

Naught have I gotten but what I received;

Grace hath bestowed it since I have believed;

Boasting excluded, pride I abase;

I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

Refrain

Only a sinner, saved by grace!

Only a sinner, saved by grace!

This is my story, to God be the glory—

I’m only a sinner, saved by grace!

Once I was foolish, and sin ruled my heart,

Causing my footsteps from God to depart;

Jesus hath found me, happy my case;

I now am a sinner, saved by grace!

Tears unavailing, no merit had I;

Mercy had saved me, or else I must die;

Sin had alarmed me fearing God’s face;

But now I’m a sinner saved by grace!

Suffer a sinner whose heart overflows,

Loving his Saviour to tell what he knows;

Once more to tell it would I embrace—

I’m only a sinner saved by grace!

James M. Gray

Matriarch's on a Monday - Miriam

I have to say, firstly, that I am really enjoying studying these "matriarchs" and sharing my findings with you!  What a blessing it is to look for lessons to be learnt, from these ladies of old.  Often, the Lord has been showing me things that I had never before thought of, or seen!

So, on to today's.  Miriam.  She is the first lady we have considered, who is not a married woman!  That does not mean that we have nothing to learn from her - oh no! We don't have to share the exact circumstances with someone, in order to learn from them.

Last week, we thought a little about Miriam's early years - in relation to her younger brother, Moses.  She was given a vital role to play in the faith-testing situation that came about.  She was sent to keep watch over her little brother - to make sure he was safe, and to find out what would become of him.  She was the one that was able to run back to her mother, Jochebed, with the almost unbelieveable news - that the Pharaoh's daughter wished to adopt him as her son, and wished for a Hebrew mother to nurse and wean him.  HIS OWN mother! What a wondrous reception Miriam must have had from her mother.

The next time we read of Miriam, she has another joyful role to play.  We find her leading the Israelite women in a song of triumph, as they had passed through the Red Sea in safety.  What a joyous occassion that must have been.  Tensions had been high, as they were being pursued by the Egyptians.  They had seen them getting ever nearer, whilst they faced the barrier of the Red Sea.  And then - OH, so mightily! - God had parted the sea, and they had crossed to dry land!  What is more, the waters fell back, as the Egyptians attempted to follow them.  They were safe, and the Egyptians were defeated.

They didn't stand, with great "stiff upper lip" sincerity, and say "oh well - jolly good show - all is well - let us carry on"!  NO!  They picked up their timbrels (yes, like a tambourine! - all us Reformed ladies would do well to remember!), and (shock HORROR!) they DANCED!  They danced, and they sang, as they praised God for His saving hand upon them!  For His preserving power!  For His sufficient grace!  Who says that a holy life should be dour and miserable?!  (more to follow on that, when I share about the sermon I heard recently...)

They were not afraid to show their joy.  And, neither should we!  We should not be Christians who never thank God for His goodness.  Who never smile.  Who never laugh.  Who think that a Christian life should always be serious, and never joyful.  We shouldn't be dour, or starchy.  YES - the Christian walk involves a lot of issues that are serious and important.  But, at the same time, we have so much for which we ought to rejoice and give praise and thanks.  Not in words only.  Not just silently, in our hearts.  OUT LOUD! With a smile! With singing and praise!

 A little children's song I know, says this...

"When I put my trust in Jesus,
He made my heart so glad
That I put away my frowning face
For I could not be sad.

Chorus:
Oh, let the joy of Jesus put a smile upon your face
And let the joy of Jesus every little frown erase
Proclaim His grace, with a happy face, let His glory shine
And show the joy of Jesus on your face!

Did you ever meet a Christian
Who only could complain
Did you ever meet a gloomy grump
Who always was in pain?"

Oh BOY, do do I know some people that don't know what it means to live that principle!

"A SMILE?  You're KIDDING, right!?"

No, I am not!  We are to rejoice in the Lord!  The JOY of the Lord is our strength! In EVERYTHING give thanks!

Really, we have a lot to learn from the response of Miriam, to the victory over the Egyptians!

As we seem to keep finding, however, we seem to have to accept the "rough" with the "smooth" with these ladies.

A bit like me, really.

Hang on, who am I kidding...a LOT like me.

We find Miriam again, alongside her brothers - Aaron and Moses.  This story is humbling.  Challenging.  Spine-tingling inspiring.

It's grumbling time.  That joyful outlook she showed after the Red Sea triumph, was soon overshadowed by the reality of a sinful nature.

We read....


"And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman."

Numbers 12:1

Ohhhhhh dear.  The old "we don't really much like the wife you chose.  You could have done sooo much better.  An ETHIOPIAN?  A FOREIGNER?  Not one of our own?  Oh, and since we don't like your choice in wife, we'll just start to pick on something else we don't like"....

"And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it."

Numbers 12:2

Simply put?  They were jealous.

They did not like the fact that Moses had a special role.  That he was the messenger, who brought God's Word to the Children of Israel.

"We are Prophets, too...Aaron is the High Priest....what makes Moses so special?", was their basic attitude.

God gave them the answer.


"If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 
 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches;"

Numbers 12: 6-8

We were also told a few verses earlier, in verse 3...

"Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth."


There's your answer, Miriam.  Moses was meek.  He was faithful.  He walked in such a close relationship with God, that He came down and spoke to him, face to face.  As one person speaks to another.  Not in special visions.  That was something special all on it's own.  Miriam seemed to forget that in her moment of anger and jealousy.  She already had a special job, not belonging to any average Israelite.

But, she wanted what Moses had.

She wanted.

Well, there it is.  The answer to her question,  all wrapped up in her desire.  She WANTED.  She wanted something that she didn't have.  In wanting, she showed quite clearly that she didn't have that same closeness to the Lord...that same meekness of heart...that same faithfulness...that her brother, Moses, had.  That heart that led him to being ABLE to have that special relationship with God.

Oh, how dangerous WANTING can be.  Wanting something that someone else has got.  What does an attitude like that demonstrate?

It demonstrates discontentment.  It demonstrates that we are not satisfied with the blessings that we already have.  It's not an issue of a NEED, and seeking the Lord to meet it.  It's a WANT.  And, as we say to our children "I want, gets nothing."

Or, if we are not careful, as in the case of Miriam....

"I want, gets leprosy".

Pretty harsh.  Or is it?  Complaining directly to God, that He isn't giving you something that you WANT?  Like a spoilt and indignant CHILD?  Leprosy, for only a short time, seems rather tame, really.

Do we deserve to stand before our awesome God, and dare to complain that we haven't got something that we think we ought to have?

Us?...would we do such a thing?....

Oh, dear heavenly Father, forgive me.  Forgive me for the times that my defiant heart has said "why can't I have...they have got it,, so why shouldn't I?"

We have all done it.  We have looked upon the possessions, or the attributes of others, and WANTED.  Our only motivation being that we are not satisfied that they have something, and we don't.

I am not saying, for one little moment, that we shouldn't have a godly desire for something that we SHOULD possess.  Like a more meek spirit.  Or a more contented heart.  Or a more faithful life.  No, I am saying it is wrong to desire something with a motivation of pure jealousy and covetousness.

Let us not forget the good, in the bad.  God's mercy.  He could have struck Miriam and Aaron down - just as He had in times past, with those who rebelled and murmured.  But, God is gracious...merciful....full of love and compassion.  He didn't take her life - He gave her a chance to think about her actions and thoughts, by having her struck with leprosy, and cast out from the camp whilst she went through her period of cleansing. 7 days of being "outside the camp" - separated from all the others.  Time to think upon her sinful heart, and renew her relationship before the Lord.

Lord, show mercy on us this day...this week.  Cause us to not seek after what others have, but rather to work on our relationship with Thee, and take our thoughts away from what we have NOT got, and rejoice in what we DO possess.

Thank you Miriam.  Thank you for teaching us so much.

Dear one, go into your day, rejoicing over God's goodness and protection over wickedness, and guarding your heart against wanting what you haven't got.