'And the Lord said unto Moses, Is the Lord's hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.'

Numbers Chapter 11 Verse 23

There are times when our spirits are crushed beyond measure and we feel as though we cannot take anymore. We see that we are not fit for the task that the Lord has set us. Our failings and shortcomings become ever so visible to us and we are ready to collapse under the strain.

Strain, worry and fear are ever present with us. So then we look to our companions for help, but discouragement and complaints come instead. Their moans and groans seem to be even louder than ours!
We have tried and done our best, but our best just does not seem to be good enough. What are we to do?

We are fast approaching the close of yet another year in our pilgrimage. What is uppermost on our minds today?  In their pilgrimage, the children of Israel were remembering cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic! How sad you may think, but if we replace those items with what is on the minds of many folk at this time of year then we find that perhaps we are just as sad.

'I need this' or 'I want that' is the cry heard from many a household in these days. Parents want to give their children what they can, yet many simply cannot afford to spend, spend, spend. Where do our priorities lie? Is it with pleasing God or with satisfying the flesh?
Do we yearn for things today that are beyond us, or are we content with such things as we have? For many the lesson of learning contentment is a difficult one and it comes not without murmuring!

O! Wretched man that I am!!!

Moses felt the weight of trying to satisfy the murmuring children of Israel as he was the target of blame. It was the fault of God and His representative Moses that they were doing without flesh. Where are we pointing the finger of blame today?
Moses took his complaint to His Lord and opened up his heart. 'This Lord is beyond me. I cannot take anymore of this constant moaning and groaning. The burden that You have given me is more than I can bear.'

Many a fine Pastor feels like that on a Monday morning. After all, last week great diligence was put into the preparation of the message.
And yesterday they preached with all their heart, pleading with the lost to turn from their ways and follow Jesus. This morning, being drained and having had a restless night the week before them looks bleak. How are they to feed such a multitude with flesh?

Let us not limit God by our limited understand nor by our unbelief!

It is easy to picture Moses looking at the cattle and the flock of sheep and wondering whether they would all need to be slain in order to satisfy the people. Even then, there would not be sufficient.
The problem is perspective.  If today we are looking either within or along the horizontal plane then our tasks in this life and even for this week will seem insurmountable.

But 'Is the Lord's hand waxed short?'

What a challenge this is for us. Has God lost His power? Has God forgotten all about us? Will He, having called us, let us fulfil our calling in our own strength? Will His glorious Word return unto Him void?
Do we preach and pray in vain? Does the mocking of others as we tell them of the Good News mean that our message is not being heard?

Can God still bring the greatest sinner to his knees pleading for mercy? Is it possible for those who today are swearing and cursing to sing Psalms tomorrow?

The Lord had a Word for Moses and He has a Word for you and I today. It is this: ' Is the Lord's hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to pass unto thee or not.'
God answered the murmuring of the people with an abundance of flesh, though His wrath was kindled upon them for their greed! It's a lesson perhaps we should all heed in these days.

The Lord graciously answered Moses' problems with an army of Elders. How quickly our Lord is able to remove our burdens and how able He is to meet our every need if only we would ask and trust Him.

"Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race set before us looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith." "Cast all your care upon the Lord for He cares for you."

Moses may have been acutely aware of the loneliness of the battle, but with God on his side he was comforted and encouraged.
His Elder brother was his constant companion and always there was a listening ear and a strong shoulder for him to lean upon.
There may be days when we have to lean harder than other days, however the more we trust the greater the blessings that flow.

Look not upon your weaknesses and failings today. Instead look to Jesus, trust Him to carry the heavy load and learn to follow the Good Master wherever He leads. He knows the way that we take, and that should give us all the confidence that we need to take the next step on our journey.

Author : Iain Mackenzie   Edited by : Pastor Al Moak