Devotional - January 7, 2026

Scripture: Numbers 27: 12-13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim Range and see the land I have given the Israelites.  After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people,

When reading today's text and reflecting on it, see it more as, grist for the mill.  Moses is told by God he will not lead the people into the promised land due to some of his past issues that have not stayed in his past.  They are still alive and well in his character.  God knows it and will not let it complicate what is in store for Israel.  It's hard to think about, how often have we stood in our way to success?  When we do, it hurts.  They are some of our worst memories, that only the grace of God pulled us through.  But I think we owe it to ourselves to take a look.  With the aid of the Holy Spirit, let's look at our issues, rather than let them hold us back from what God has in store for us.  And yes, if you are reading this devotional, there is more for you in the future.  Moses looked out over the promised land because he was not willing to change.  Good guy that he was (Deuteronomy 34:10-12), God would not allow him to proceed beyond that point.  We too are held back, by of all things..., ourselves.  Our pride which is an illusion constructed in our own mind.  Tell someone sometime, how big a deal you think you are and watch their response.  You would do the same, if they told you theirs.  A healthy level of self esteem is good, pride is not (Proverbs 16:18).  Allow for some humility to enter in (James 4:10) and prayerfully work through a few of the things you feel need work.  You may be surprised, a little can go a long way.  But also remember, you are not doing this for yourself.  You are doing it for the good of the order, for the people who are in your life.  Moses' issues messed things up for himself and everyone else.  If you are like me, you don't always understand how much your actions may hurt or disrupt others' lives.  Not many of us do and we feel put upon when asked to change.  Granted, there are some who seek such things from us for their own gain, but putting them aside, we should address issues we know are off-kilter within ourselves and need to be addressed.  The hardest ones to address are the ones other people enjoy.  They can live vicariously through our bad habits.  And we like it, because then it's not just us doing it.  Grip down man/women of God, do not let yourself get carried away with it.  In the end, it just means you are both doing it.  I'm not sure why I got hung up on this today.  Maybe because time is starting to mean a lot more to me.  The time we have needs to be lived in the best way, because we don't know how much we have left, and not a minute more can be bought.  We should never assume there will be more.  

Pray with me..., Lord, we are grateful.  We give You praise for all the grace we have received.  Let us not be complacent with it, but instead let it encourage us to be better people for You, others, and ourselves.  Help us to live each day fully and Godly.  We ask Your blessing on our families and loved ones.  We ask Your blessing on our church.  Bless us, so we can be a blessing for others, in Jesus' name, Amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Brian