Devotional Blog

The year was 1962.  It was the height of the Cuban Missile crisis; the first Wal-Mart opened in Rogers, Arkansas; the first Kohl’s Department store in Milwaukee.  Sonny Liston knocked out Floyd Patterson in the first two minutes of the first round; Johnny Carson becomes the host of the Tonight Show, and we begin to hear about a remote place called Viet Nam.

It was also the year that prayer in public schools was declared unconstitutional.  Twenty-two words that students could voluntarily recite.

Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers, and our country. Amen.

I believe we are reaping the consequences of that decision today.  More on that later.

1962 was also the year I learned a very important life lesson.  It was the beginning of my high school career.  I was a sophomore.  Just bought a season pass to all the games that year and looking forward to getting my driver’s license.  Expectations were high – I was now in high school. 

The night of the first game arrived.  My friend, Jerry – 2 years older than me with a car – picked me up.  Last minute instructions from my parents were, “Have a good time. You may go out to eat after, but then it’s straight home.  And, by the way, (here it comes) you are not to leave the city limits.”  Reason?  I had a girlfriend that lived a few miles outside of town.  You know the rest of the story….

My mother’s favorite verse in those days – and she quoted it almost daily – was, “…be sure your sins will find you out!” (Num. 32:23) On the way home from our side trip outside the city limits we decided to see “just what the car could do.”  Bad decision.  With the needle on the speedometer buried the engine blew a freeze plug and immediately overheated.  We coasted onto the shoulder.  (I knew at this point my life was toast.)  Deciding to call his dad, Jerry walked to a nearby farmhouse and asked to use the phone.  His dad was not home, but his mom promised to get us help and “you kids, don’t worry.”  (Sure, easy for her to say. Her goose wasn’t cooked!)  About half an hour later we saw headlights coming up the road.  As the car drew closer, I recognized those lights.  It was my dad!  We left Jerry’s car on the side of the road and took him home.  My father was gracious to me in front of my friend.  He didn’t say anything to me right then.  No questions, no yelling, nothing.  Once home, he said, “Get to bed, we’ll talk about this in the morning.” 

Side note:  I have two older brothers.  Whenever I got into a scrape, I always wanted them home to act as buffers between the folks and me.  Things seemed to go easier for me when they were around.  No such luck this time – both gone!

Morning came. Time to face the music.  “Because you disobeyed you are grounded for this entire school year!”  I was crushed!  There would be no appeal, no plea bargain.  You see, in our house disobedience was a capital offense.  There would be no extra-curricular activities.  School, church, and my paper route would be my life for that school year! 

Let’s look at an example of how seriously God takes disobedience.  In my journey through the Bible, I am currently reading Numbers.  In chapter 20 we find the Israelites grumbling because there was no water for them to drink. 

“Why have you brought us out to this wretched place where we will die?”

“Why did we ever leave Egypt?”

They blamed Moses for their predicament, and he’d heard all before many times.  The text says Moses and Aaron turned away from the people and fell on their faces before God.  The Lord told them, “You must take the staff and assemble the entire community.  As the people watch, speak to the rock over there, and it will pour out its water.” (vs. 8) The passage continues by saying Moses did what he was told.  He took the staff, then he summoned the people to come to the rock.  But the narrative changes at this point. 

He yells at them, “Listen you rebels!” 

“Must we bring water from this rock?” 

Then he raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out.  The entire community and their livestock drank their fill.

Notice God’s graciousness at this point.  He let the miracle happen.  God did not fault the people because of Moses’ and Aaron’s disobedience.  Nor did He make them look foolish in front of the people.  Rather, He dealt with them alone.  Verse 12, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”  You see, as soon as Moses struck the rock, the focus was on him and not God.  If he would have just spoken to the rock the miracle would have pointed to the power of God. 

Toward the end of Deuteronomy as Moses was at the end of his life God took him up to Mount Nebo and Pisgah Peak across from Jericho.  There the Lord showed him the whole land, from Gilead to Dan, all the land of Naphtali; Ephraim and Manasseh; all the land of Judah….  This is the land God promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  “This is what you’ll miss, Moses.  I have allowed you to see it, but you will not enter the land.” (Deut. 34: 1-4 my paraphrase.)

I lost a school year of fun stuff. Moses lost the promised land.

The consequences of disobedience…. 

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? (Luke 6:46)

More on this next time. Until then I remain… at the Cross.

Bill Erickson