REACTING OR RESPONDING. By Pastor Fernando

SCRIPTURE
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “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!”
Numbers 20:12

OBSERVATION
The people of Israel were very difficult. They complained, grumbled, and rebelled all the time. Moses had to put up with their tantrums to the point of burning all his margins. Moses and Aaron reacted angrily rather than responding wisely. They did not trust God enough and failed to demonstrate the holiness of God. In their reaction, they became as rebellious as the ten spies with negative reports. And even though Moses and Aaron did not die immediately, they were banned from leading the people in the promised land.

APPLICATION
There are some people that will drive us crazy. Their negative attitude, their victim mentality, their constant and unquenchable neediness, and their manipulative grumbling has the potential to worn out the strongest of us. And if we are not careful, we will end up reacting rather than responding. Reactions are volatile emotionally and may solve a temporary problem. Moses' angry attack on the rock provided the water people demanded. But responses are charged with divine wisdom and will always provide long term solutions. When Moses responded to the people's cravings for food, God set things up to provide manna and quail faithfully everyday.

Good shepherds must avoid reactions and embrace responses. And because they are human beings, vulnerable to the pressures of people, they need to protect their margins and avoid patterns that warn them out. Moses was listening too much what people were saying. We cannot have a receptive ear to people's complains. We need to learn how to listen, retain only what is good, and reject what is counterproductive.

PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to keep healthy margins and a healthy distance from difficult people. Give me wisdom to avoid their ambushes. Help me to escape their 5 minute requests. Help me to focus my attention into those that want to keep moving forward and follow God's will. I don't want to loose my trust in you and end up not honoring your holiness. Give me the heart of a good shepherd. Teach me how to solve problems in a long term fashion. And don't let me walk one step in rebellion by reacting emotionally rather than responding wisely. Amen!