There are days when our 6 local grandboys are all here at once, and everybody gets along, and we all have fun. And then there are days when at least one of them loses his mind and the fun goes with it.

We were playing in the basement, when one suggested we turn out the lights and ride EZ Rollers and scooters in the pitch-black dark. Another said he wasn’t OK with pitch-black, but how about we leave a lamp on in the next room?

The talk back-and-forth heated up, and eventually the lamp-lover was screaming, while the one holding the overhead light switch said calmly, “Can’t we find a way to compromise?”

For context, let me say that the one wanting to compromise was the same one who came up the stairs not long ago, still in roller blades and screaming bloody murder, because his brother had turned out all the lights and made the basement go black. So there’s that.

But this time, he held the light switch, so he wasn’t afraid, and what’s more, he was willing to compromise.

His favorite cousin, however, was hysterical not having his hand on the light switch, too. It’s hard to trust someone to give you a fair shake when you’re not in control and afraid. But eventually, they did compromise: the screaming stopped, a dimmer lamp was left on, and the fun cranked back up.

Today’s passages say where you can find steadiness no matter the madness, because God’s hand is in control, and he never stops looking out for you.

Numbers 35-36

I love the drama of March weather. Sometimes raging, sometimes glorious, it can be wild rain and wind, tornadoes and school closings one week, and balmy the next, perfect for planting my porch pots.

High and low. Unpredictable. Exciting. 

This is something of what the book of Numbershas been, because there’s been a lot of madness in the shenanigans of God’s people. But on this last day of reading it, I see how these lowlights have made the highlights brighter: each upbeat chapter stands out because the others don’t.

In chapter 35, there are instructions about distributing the Promised Land they’re about to take over, and mainly it’s about sharing cities with the Levites who won’t get any land, because “The Lord is their inheritance.” After all Israel has done against him, God still moves forward with keeping his land promise, as if nothing’s happened, as if he’s forgotten all about it, Nu 18:20; De 18:2. 

And I’m astonished.

Because I certainly remember how everybody whined: Israel constantly complained about not having food they liked or water to drink. Moses complained about having to lead these needy people. Miriam and Aaron, Moses’ siblings, complained about his leadership, Nu 11-14, 20.

I remember how once they reached the land God promised the first time ’round, the spies they sent in to check it out gave a bad report. The people refused to go in and fight for it, so they had to wander another 40 years ’til that generation died out, Nu 11-14, 20.

I remember how Korah and a group of Levites lead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron, because they suspected the brothers were making up stuff and only pretended that God said it. God’s response was to open up the ground beneath the ring leaders and swallow them, and then to burn up the 250 followers who agreed with them, Nu 16-17.

‘Nuff said?

Nope.

The very next day, Moses and Aaron were blamed for the deaths of those who died in the landfill. God’s response was immediate: a plague came and 14,700 were killed before Aaron saved the rest by offering incense, Nu 16:41-50.

I remember how God helped when they were attacked, and how they won the battle and got their captured people back. But when they complained afterwards that God had deserted them rather than saved them, biting snakes came in as discipline. This time, they were saved by looking at the snake held up on a stick, Nu 21.

I remember Balaam, a pagan prophet, who came up with a plan to get rich from Balak, the king who wanted to stop Israel. His advice was to bring in Midianite women to seduce the Israelite men to worship their idol, Baal. It worked, but thousands lost their lives in the plague God sent promptly afterwards that Phineas stopped by stabbing the fornicators, Nu 22-25.

At this point, I’d expect God to say, I’m over these people! They’re as hopeless as their parents!Because they were. There was hardly a bright spot in this whole book people-wise, except for Aaron, who stopped the first plague, and his grandson, Phineas, who stopped the second, Nu 16:46-48, 25:6-8.

Interestingly, the sin-stories stop here with chapter 25. The rest of Numbers has to do primarily with land distribution–Moses takes another census to learn how many people are left so the distribution is fair, plus we learn who gets what piece and what the boundaries are, Nu 26-27, 32-35. 

Even more unbelievably, God tells them in subsequent chapters how to celebrate in worship, because now that he’s disciplined, he’s also forgiven. What’s there left to do but embrace him and enjoy it? Nu 28-30.

It’s not the first time I’ve felt confounded by what God does. His people have complained and blamed him, disbelieved and completely disobeyed him–yet here he is, not saying any words of future warning, not curtailing their privileges, not treating them as the screw-ups they’ve been. Plus the plan to give them the Promised Land stands. And they get to take off days–even weeks–from work regularly to enjoy God’s presence and fellowship together, Nu 26-36.

There’s nothing here about suffering hard consequences: God doesn’t even give them the cold shoulder. What’s more, there’s everything here about getting land they don’tdeserve and teaching them how to relish him in worship, Nu 28-30.

If you ask me, God’s parenting is suspect. 

He doesn’t parent—he spare-ents.

There’s more upbeat news in the last chapter of Numbers (36) about Zelophehad’s daughters. They’d asked for their father’s land in order to preserve his name within his tribal clan, because Zelo had no sons, and God said by all means, let the girls have it, Nu 27:1-11.

But after pondering the details, the tribal leaders foresee how the daughters might lose their father’s land along with his name if they marry outside their clan, so they bring it up to discuss. These men trouble themselves in the best interest of these women–this is how I read it–because resolving the issue so that Zelophehad’s land remains with the tribe benefits everybody, Nu 36. 

God’s word on it is that Zelophehad’s girls must marry within their family tribe, so their land stays with it. The daughters agree and “did just as God commanded,” Nu 36:5-12.

The daughters’ willingness to abide by God’s word of command is refreshing after so much straight-up rebellion in this book. It takes a lot of faith to trust that God’s words are reallybest, and it’s beautiful to watch these women do what he says, rather than take matters into their own hands. When I think of how alien such an attitude is for today, I’m blown away, Nu 36:10-12.

It’s a happy ending I wasn’t expecting, and I want to stand up and cheer for the relief it gives, for the social relevance it has, and for the relational advice of it, “Yes, this is how men and women should treat one another!” It’s an extraordinary step of faith by people, who haven’t offered much thus far to emulate.

If God were only concerned with getting people to heaven, then who Zelo’s daughters marry would be a moot point. But it’s not moot. God weighs in and makes a command concerning it, Nu 36:10.

And it reminds me that all of life on earth has importance because God Almighty cares about every part of it. He’s concerned about animals that fall in ditches, about children being seen and heard, about women being strong, about men being kind, plus a whole lotta other things his laws are concerned with, Ex 21:33; Mt 14:14, 19:14; Mk 7:24-30; Lk 6:35-36.

Everyone and everything matters to him. If it didn’t, God would sweep us all into heaven or hell and be done with the madness of us. But he doesn’t. He tunes in. He watches. He stays up and keeps track and checks in and helps out, Ps 121:5, 127:1, 144:5-8; Pr 15:3.

The One who made sky and seas, tides and winds is as near as thought, breath, and skin. Despite the faithlessness of people, God keeps his promises and keeps checking in on us, because he’s more forgiving, good, and glad with us than we have any idea of.

Who could possibly turn out well with so much grace thrown in their faces? 

We can, because love wins.

God’s love steadies, no matter the madness, because it never depends on you to deserve it.

Luke 5:1-11

Peter’s been fishing all night and hasn’t caught a thing, and Jesus tells him to take his boat out deeper and let down his nets. Peter’s reluctant but because Jesus asks, he does it. And when he does, the catch is so great, it nearly sinks his boat, plus the boat that comes to help him, Lk 5:4-7. 

Peter is undone. He falls to his knees and tells Jesus, “Leave me to myself.” He knows he can’t measure up to Jesus. He’s a sinner and not in Jesus’ league, Lk 5:8 MSG. 

But Jesus tells him there’s nothing to fear. Peter’s got the main qualification he’s looking for, which is knowing he’s a sinner. And this works out well for him, since Jesus just happens to be the Savior he needs. After this, Jesus tells him he’ll fish for men and women, and Peter must’ve believed him, because he leaves his fishing gear “and followed him,” Lk 5:10-11 MSG.

Peter landed the fishing job of a lifetime, and all because he knew he needed Jesus. This is the only qualification any of us needs to serve in his kingdom. After Jesus went back to heaven, Peter preached a sermon about the good news of Jesus and saw 5,000 people believe in him. I’m guessing this jazzed him more than catching fish ever did, Lk 5:4-11; Ac 2:14, 4:4.  

Knowing you need Jesus steadies you, because the pressure is off to fix yourself. You have a Savior, who delights to save you, and he empowers you to serve him. 

Psalm 66

When life goes wonky, this psalm shows what’s really going on:

God takes each of us “out of the ditch,” and sets us “on the road to life,” by training and refining us in “hardscrabble country,” pushing us “to our very limit,” Ps 66:8-11 MSG.

While this is sobering news, isn’t it also relieving?

Because I’ve wondered what’s going on when I’m caught in a crazy cycle. I feel the testing the psalmist writes about, as if someone is deliberately pressing my buttons. I’m glad to know I’m not imagining it.

It makes sense that God would “road-test us inside and out, take us to hell and back,” because I’m not motivated to seek God when things are easy. Is anybody? It’s also comforting to read “to hell and back” in my Message translation, because it feels like that. Can I get a witness? Ps 66:10-11 MSG.

The good news about hardscrabble country is that there’s an oasis there, and eventually, God brings you “to this well-watered place.” The best thing about suffering is the access it gives you to God in ways you never knew you needed him or looked for him. He is the well-watered place you can draw from anytime you want him, Ps 66:12 MSG.

God’s presence steadies, no matter the madness, because his Living Water saturates and satisfies you.

Prayer

God, Thank you for showing up when life goes upside-down. Thank you for your presence that steadies me, no matter the madness.

In Jesus’ name, so be it.

Proverbs 11:23

The goals of good folks keep them on track. The goals of wicked folks land them in the ditch.

Note: the outline for the book of Numbers in the NIV Study Bible was a helpful resource in writing this post.

Passages in Numbers, Luke, Psalms, and Proverbs are selected for today in The Yearly Bible.

This post is from iwantmore.blog, my (almost) daily devotional blog.

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