Effie Darlene Barba

When the children of Israel moved forward through the Land toward Canaan, they had many victories over those who opposed them.  So, as they neared the land of the Moabites, King Balak feared.  He did not realize that God had already told them not to fight the Moabites as they were kin (descendants of Lot) (Deuteronomy 2:9).  Instead Balak hired a famous pagan sorcerer and psychic to curse the people of God; but the Sovereignty of God did not allow the words to even be spoken against His People.  God fully protected them from the Evil without.  Yet that was not their greatest threat, for it came from within.  The sin prone hearts of many within the Israeli camps desired the Moabite women for sexual pleasure and hence succumbed to the worship of Baal.

Is this not true today within our nation, our churches and our own hearts?  Our greatest threat is from within, rather than the evil without.  God dealt with this as well.  He ordered all involved be beheaded.  The total death count was 24,000.  One was so brazen, he brought a Midianite woman into the camp in front of all the children of Israel.  Phinehas (Aarons grandson) “saw it, rose up from among the congregation, and took a javelin in his hand. He went after the man of Israel into the tent, and thrust both through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly.  So, the plague was stayed from the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:7).

Therefore, we see.   God does protect His Own from the evil threats without and within.  Just because they were blessed by God, never meant He turned a blind eye to rebellion and disobedience.  Yet, He stood as judge Himself.  No one could touch them without His express permission.

Balak And the Evil Without

Continue reading “Is Our Greatest Threat the Evil Without or Within?”

All the years wandering in the wilderness brought the Israelite nation to this point.  Finally, they had recognized the depth of sin with all their grumbling against God.  The ordeal with the poisonous snakes had brought them to their knees in true repentance.  Until then, they had lived a roller coaster life of brief moments of obedience followed by bitter disobedience.  Yet, after they truly repent, recognizing the poison lay deep within their own self exalting hearts.  The serpents were merely symbolic of that.  Yet, they soon discover that worship, faith and no more grumbling bring Victory—the victory given freely by God’s grace and theirs to claim by faith.

We might want to look and say, “Why did it take them so long?  Couldn’t they just trust God after all He had already done for them? What a foolish bunch?” But what about you and me? Are we different than they? Isn’t their story much like ours, if we are honest?  The moment we begin to claim a tiny victory, we face some hardship and fall once more into bitterness, fear and frustration.  The problem typically we take our eyes off Jesus and look at ourselves.  But as we look to latter verses of Chapter 21 do we not have hope restored as we see no more grumbling. Instead we see, Worship and faith leading to their claiming God’s Victory.

No More Murmuring

Continue reading “Victory Claimed by Worship, Faith and No more Grumbling”

Finally, after all the trials they had faced, the children of Israel bowed before the Lord repentant for their sin.  So, Moses went before the Lord.  God instructed him to make a bronze image of a snake and lift it high upon a pole.  Anyone bitten by the poisonous snake could look up and be saved.  On the cross, it was Jesus lifted high that we might be saved from the serpent’s curse, if only we repent and look to Jesus.  Indeed, this was a picture of salvation by grace through faith given to the Israelites.  How many hardships did they endure before bowing before the throne of God?  And how many hardships must you or I endure before we fall before Him? He who died on a cross that I might be clothed in a righteousness not my own.  And by such to have eternal life with Him.

First, we must catch a glimpse of His majesty.  Only then do we begin to realize the absolute depravity of our own hearts.  For the children of Israel, God kept revealing Himself.  He revealed the Glory of His Righteousness, Justice and Judgement as well as His Mercy, Love and Grace.  His patience shone forth as He led this rebellious crowd.  Why were they so blind?  Truly, why are we so blind?

Repent

Continue reading “Repent! Look to Jesus Lifted High and be Saved”

There is only one who can heal our land.  So my question to me and to you; have we been praying with the diligence we should?  Jeremiah wept bitterly for his people, have we?  Or have we grown too content with our own little lives to take the time to prayer for our President and for our Country?  I bid you now with me on bended knee to pray fervently for God to heal our land. 

HEAL OUR LAND

By Effie Darlene Barba

 

I heard the sounds of tears surround

As anguish did abound

Death, despair, the wretched sound

That rose from every side

 

I fell there on my knees, Dear God

In sin our earth doth trod

Unto You Lord we feign a nod

While drowning in our pride

 

I pleaded there to seek your face

And ask you show Your grace

Our shame Oh Lord you can erase

Though guilty we’ve been tried

 

I cried for all who walk this land

To turn and seek Your hand

On righteousness to take a stand

And in your Love abide

 

As I prayed, Your light revealed

The sin I must now yield

That first my heart must be healed

Of sin I had denied

 

I give to you my wretched heart

It’s sin I bid depart

Your righteousness to then impart

Your Spirit be my guide

 

Cleansed by your grace, now I plead

Once more to intercede

To cleanse our land of sin and greed

Our eyes to open wide

 

To see the truth, to You belong

Our praise and worship song

Teach us to know right and wrong

To lay our sin aside

 

Transform our hearts by your dear Grace

Teach us to seek your face

Heal our land by Your embrace

Let us be purified

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Disclosures

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2019
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

 

Throughout this journey through the Wilderness, God has led His people.  They grumbled, complained, doubted, and flat out rebelled.  Oh, among them were those whose hearts were so hardened God ultimately had to have the earth swallow them up into its pits.  Yet, despite all this, God displays His patience, Grace, justice and goodness as He led the people.  They needed to know of Him, not just in their minds; but rather also in their hearts they really needed to know Him in all His Glory.

There was no other way to survive than this—to get to know Him better and to love Him for all His acts of kindness toward them.  So, even the hardship that they faced along the way, was for their ultimate good as God transformed their hearts each step of the way.  Their history was the intertwining of God’s Grace and man’s failure, just like ours is.

Intertwining of Grace with Justice

Continue reading “God Displays His Patience, Grace, Justice, and Goodness”