My husband told me, "If people didn't know your sweet spirit, they'd mistake your confidence in God for arrogance."

Now, I am sure it will not surprise you when I tell you that what he said got me to thinking and thinking and thinking some more.

And do you know what verse kept coming to my mind?

Numbers 14:11:

The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them?

I can't remember how I came upon this verse the first time. I think I was curious about this section of Scripture after reading the condensed version of the story to Norah from Family-Time Bible by Kenneth N. Taylor. The book is part of her home school curriculum.

But, I was struck by the verse above, in particular. I am struck by a lot of verses, you know. But, this one "struck" me in a way that would change my life and redefine, in one instant, how I would relate to God from then on. I made the connection between the Israelite's doubts about God and their contempt for God. This verse makes it clear that the two can be one and the same.

I realized that after all that God has for me personally; leading me to the truth about Him, sealing me with His Spirit, guiding me from the time I prayed, "God, if you are real, show me." to the time I prayed, "Do you want me to marry Dwayne?" providing everything I've needed; from a full scholarship to college, basically out of thin air because I wasn't that much of a scholar, to the jobs I have, to the Jeep I drive, to diapers for my children... He's come through so often that I believe it may actually offend Him if I don't believe He'll come through next time and the next time and the next time after that.

We'd all agree that the Israelites, who saw the Red Sea part, who walked across on dry ground, who saw God sack the entire Egyptian army as those same walls of water fell on top of them, should have believed that God would continue to provide for them as they went into the Promised Land. He told them outright that he would give them the land. There's no question they should have been confident. It was, quite literally, absurd for them not to believe God. They could actually see God's glory at this point in the story!

And, considering all that we have seen: God becoming human in Jesus, teaching like He did, dying for our sins, coming back from the dead, sending His Spirit, preserving His word... after all that He's done for His people up to this point in history, isn't it just as absurd for us, for you, for me, for any Christian on this side of the cross, not to be confident?!



For more details about the story I reference, read here.