"Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?” -Exodus 17:2 (ESV)Ever been "desperate"? Whether backed into a corner by someone, or some situation, people will generally defend themselves. Maybe it's the animal instict, or maybe it's our sin-nature. And not only defend ourselves ...but we'll shift the blame to whoever is closest and most obvious.
In the Exodus story... Moses is called, by God, to lead His people from the bondage of Egyption slavery to a land, flowing with milk and honey, promised by God Himself. Clearly, God never promised it would be a simple walk in the park... to get there ..and it wasn't. In desperation the people began to quarrel with Moses ..but they were really quarreling with God. Moses was simply carrying out, reluctantly to begin, the task God had placed before him.
I think this devotional is speaking directly to the Christian; because with anything else in life, maybe the fault is our own. Maybe we are persuading others according to our own desires, will, and even best intentions. Maybe we are to be blamed. At the very least ...we must take responsibility when leading anyone."Taking shots" is just the nature of the beast. But if you are a Christ-follower, and have felt the burden of giving a defense for that which you believe ...take heart, the battle belongs to the Lord.
Don't take every argument / quarrel involving you ....as being specifically targeted "against" you; ....concerning "spiritual things". You and I don't spin the planets and make eternal decisions. Like Moses ....we are called to be a deliverer, a messenger. While that places us as the first, and most obvious, warm body for arows to be launched ....it doesn't make the battle any more our own. Why would we even be surprised if someone quarrels with us about eternal things?? We should thank God for those quarrels ...that folks have enough eternal fore-thought to want to argue it!! This is far better than blind, dumb, indifference.
Deliever the Good News! Do so with a conviction, which you would have / should have wrestled on your own, or are maybe still wrestling ....resulting in a "faith" that can walk a mile in a doubter's shoes! While we need to, must be able to, give an evidence for our own faith ...we also must realize that, at the end of the day, it boils down to just that ..."faith". "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." (John 6:44 ESV) ...was Jesus' own statement. Our responsibility lies in simply being "faithful" ..in doing that which God has called every Believer. If you have an argument beyond that ...you might help a non-believer wrestle, but you will ultimately defer them to Source.
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