AN IMPORTANT LESSON LEARNT

We had a great service at church on the 26th April, one of those mountain top experiences where the presence of God was so tangible, people were getting ministered too and the volume of the singing was like we have not heard before. God simply moved in a powerful way.

Then came the next week….
I was leading the musical worship, after the first few songs it felt really flat compared to last week, so I found myself trying to encourage the congregation to sing out, to feel free to dance… anything to try and get the people to the place they were at just last week. Then it dawned on me what I was doing I felt like I heard God say to me ‘you are trying to manufacture what only I can produce’

I listened, and in the ministry set I kept my mouth shut, I kept it simple and let God lead and surprise surprise God did what he does best – met with his people. I reflected on this the next week with my vicar (who I think was about to tell me off for trying too hard!) and I spent some time on my own and God led me to the story of Moses and the staff.In Exodus 17:6 God said to Moses

‘Strike the rock and water will come out of it for the people to drink’ He did as the Lord commanded and water gushed from the rock.

Then later in Numbers 20:7-12  God said to Moses,

“Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?”  Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

The first time God asked Moses to do something, He did as the Lord commanded. The second time God asked him to do something different to get the same result he ignored God and reverted back to the old tactic that worked so well in the past. God in His grace still produced water but Moses and Aaron missed out on so much as a result. This spoke volumes to me, In relation to my situation.

I’ve hopefully learnt my lesson, and I share this to help prevent you doing the same.
Do what God is asking of you now, don’t fall into the temptation of trying to manufacture what He has done in the past.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5)