Green Is Not Your Best Color

Numbers 12 (New International Version)

Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses

 ¹ Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ²"Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?" they asked. "Hasn't he also spoken through us?" And the LORD heard this.  ³ (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)   ⁴ At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, "Come out to the Tent of Meeting, all three of you." So the three of them came out. ⁵ Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the Tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When both of them stepped forward, ⁶ he said, "Listen to my words: 

       "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, 
       I reveal myself to him in visions, 
       I speak to him in dreams.

 ⁷ But this is not true of my servant Moses; 
       he is faithful in all my house.

 ⁸ With him I speak face to face, 
       clearly and not in riddles; 
       he sees the form of the LORD. 
       Why then were you not afraid 
       to speak against my servant Moses?"

 ⁹ The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them.   ¹⁰ When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, ^[a] like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; ¹¹ and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. ¹² Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away."

 ¹³ So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!"

 ¹⁴ The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." ¹⁵ So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.   ¹⁶ After that, the people left Hazeroth and encamped in the Desert of Paran. 

My bible study today ended up being in a book of the bible that I think might sometimes be considered an "obscure" book of the bible, if there could be such a thing.  But, it's where I've landed the last couple of days and quite frankly, it's been a great place to be.  I have a new women's study bible that I picked up at church last Sunday night (you can find it in A Pair of Bartletts Bookshop under the "bibles" category.  It's a women's devotional bible that has some really great daily studies, as well as some topical reading lists in the back of the bible.  It's very organized so that you can direct your study with less fuss.  

At any rate, I'm really enjoying the setup of this bible.  Today's study was in chapter 12 of the book of Numbers.  The chapter begins with Aaron and Miriam questioning why God is using Moses more than He is using them.  For some reason, they forgot about all of the things that they were being used for by the Lord and decided that Moses was basically "getting more credit".  

How quick are we in our daily lives to decide that someone else has something better, is doing something better, is moving up quicker, or is less stressed out than we are?  It's so easy to do when we are in our flesh.  I am the chief of sinners and am preaching to myself.  Dear Lord, let me be reminded :  

Proverbs 14:30 (New International Version)

 ³⁰ A heart at peace gives life to the body, 
       but envy rots the bones.

I have not always been quick to thank God for my circumstances.  But I find myself at a place in my life where I can honestly say it's so much easier to be content with what I have and the blessings that the Lord has so graciously bestowed upon me.  It's so much less stressful with contentment than with worry (over what your neighbor has, has done, is going to....).

How do you handle bringing envy under control?  Do you have control over the green eyed monster?  Have you given your burdens to the Lord to let Him work them out in His timing?  I will leave you with this:

James 3:14-18 (New International Version)

¹⁴But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.¹⁵Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. ¹⁶For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

 ¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. ¹⁸Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

 

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