[Discoveries] 06-22-08 Painful lessons -- Numbers 12:8

[Inspiration in Your Inbox]

/*"Why then were you not afraid ...?" -- Numbers 12:8*/

In almost every case, when the Lord speaks to us about fear, He says, 
"Do not be afraid." But here, we have a different story. The Lord was so 
angry with his servants for speaking against their leader that He 
temporarily struck Miriam with leprosy.

"Why were you not afraid?" It almost seems that God is incredulous.

When I was a little boy I loved collecting insects in jars with nail 
holes in the lids. One day I decided to create the mother of all insect 
collections. I had a huge glass jar. With a small glass jar I collected 
everything ... grasshoppers, beetles, flies, spiders, bees ... you name 
it. Then I transferred each acquisition to my insect zoo in the big 
glass jar.

Once I had something of everything I could find, I decided it would be a 
neat idea to take my huge jar and climb to the top of my grandfather's 
John Deere tractor.

"That's not a good idea," an adult voice warned.

I kept on climbing.

"You're liable to drop your jar; it will break and you'll lose everything."

I didn't believe it and I didn't heed the warning. So the adults let me 
climb. I got to the top with a feeling of exultation. I set my jar down 
and then I noticed something. The top of the tractor wasn't level. The 
jar started to slide. I reached for it, but I was too late.

Broken glass, free bugs and lots of little boy tears.

Painful lessons -- for Miriam and for me.

But painful lessons are also an opportunity for God. Sometimes a lesson 
learned in a moment of pain prevents a lifetime of suffering. Remember 
the illustration of the semi truck? When we are outside and are startled 
by the blast of the horn, it helps us remember how safe and comfortable 
it is inside the cab.

Even in painful lessons, God cannot help but to love, for that is Who He 
is.

Be encouraged!
Dwight

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