Looking Up

One of our New Year’s resolutions together is to read the whole Bible in 90 days. We got this nice round number from our other resolution, P90X. Haha. To become more physically and spiritually fit in 90 days is a great goal I think. You can ask us about our results at the end of March.

Yesterday I started the book of Numbers. With its unfavorable reputation for being an extremely boring book, I honestly was not expecting much from my reading. However, as He repeatedly does in my life, God surprised me with an important lesson that I needed to hear. It came from Numbers 9:15-23. In this part of the story, the tabernacle had been set up. From the first day it was set up, God covered it with a cloud during the day and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted off the tabernacle, the Israelites knew that it was time to move and continue their journey to the Promised Land. Whenever the cloud settled over the tabernacle, the Israelites set up camp and stayed where they were. It says in Numbers 9:22, “Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted they would set out.”

During this period in our life, Nick and I are waiting. I’m waiting to find out where I get into graduate school and Nick is waiting to see where he lands a job. Unfortunately, I’m not a very patient person. I like to know what’s happening and to constantly be working towards a goal. So this whole waiting thing is not easy for me. I’ve been praying for a while now that God will show us where our “Promised Land” is going to be. But I’ve been so focused on the Promised Land, that I’m not watching the cloud. You see, there are lessons of growth and maturity that God wants to teach me right now while I’m waiting. But I’m not allowing Him to teach me because I’m not looking to Him. All I can focus on is an answer to my specific question and nothing else. To think that the Israelites would sometimes stay in the same place for a whole year is unfathomable to me! What if God wanted to put off my grad. school for a whole year? Would I complain and whine and pine just like the Israelites did? You bet.

How incredibly wonderful it is to have a God whose patience is enduring. He wants to teach me things and grow closer to me everyday! Is there any reason that I shouldn’t want that for myself? So here’s to looking up instead of looking around.

Deanne