Sometimes when we read the bible or listen to a message there are lessons that we takeaway, that we should really put back. Not everything that can be taken away should be. Meaning you could find yourself relating to a situation and feel justified when in reality that story was written so that you wouldn’t do what they did.
For example, when God told Moses that he was sending him to Egypt to free his people, Moses freaked out. God said, “you will go to Pharaoh and tell him to let my people go.” Moses said, “yeah but….” God said, “stick your hand in your shirt and pull it out,” and it became leprous. Moses said, “yeah but….” God said take that staff in your hand and put it on the ground,” and it became a snake. Moses said, “yeah but….” God said, “who makes the mouth and the tongue?” Then Moses said, “send someone else.” God said, “NO!”
Now you could look at this story and find a lot of relatability, but if your takeaway is that it is ok to doubt God and have such a low self esteem, you took the wrong lesson away. The lesson is that when you find yourself relating to Moses’ mindset you should consider all the things God did through him and have faith. The takeaway is not that unbelief, doubt and worry are acceptable, the takeaway is that what God says he means, so change the way you think and step into your purpose. One takeaway promotes weakness and the lack of faith, while the other causes strength, growth, faith and maturity.
When the Israelites were working their way to the promised land, they passed through the red sea, walked for three days and then finally get to a body of water but it was undrinkable. So everybody freaks out against Moses. God tells Moses to throw a stick in the water and it became sweet. A little while later the Israelites ran into a food shortage problem, and as is their custom, they freak out. They say, “if only we would have died in Egypt, where at least we had pots full of meat.” God tells Moses that he will rain down manna from heaven in the morning and bring quail in the evening. Some time passed and they ran into a water shortage again, the Israelites freaked out and God told Moses to strike a big rock with his staff and water gushed out.
Now you could look at this and your takeaway could be that if you freak out God will provide, but trust me when I say, you better put that back! Every time the Israelites ran into a problem God provided. These continual experiences necessitate a new way of thinking about life and God. The whole reason the Israelites were on this journey was because they were going to the promised land. The problem the people were having is that they were stuck in the familiar past, and didn’t learn to let that go to grab hold of their future. Consequently these people who were on a journey of purpose and vision refused to grab hold of it and therefore disqualified themselves from the very thing they were working towards. These stories don’t promote unbelief, they show us the big picture so that our faith can increase and doubt, worry and fear can decrease.
Grab hold of the true takeaways, and become strong, confident, sure, established, mature, skillful, full of faith and belief, living your life from identity, purpose and vision. That’s what I’m talking about!