HOMESCHOOLED
In the Classroom with God
August 16th, 2023
See, I’ve been in the classroom lately. With God. And while the lessons have been extremely difficult, excruciatingly painful, exhaustingly real, they also are the purpose of a patient Teacher’s Lesson Plan—extravagantly designed for my good and ultimately His use. And He is (home)schooling me so I may know that He has my best interests strategically in sync with the beat of His heart.
TODAY’S LESSON: It’s Not the Miles; It’s the Years
There are many things in this life I do not understand. And you know what; it’s ok. It’s going to have to be okay, actually. We were not promised anything straight- forward, all detailed out, perfectly in-line with what we had in mind. In fact, God instructs us of this in His Word. He says in Isaiah 55:8-9, ‘”For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways, My ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”’ I have understood very little going on around me for quite some time, but I really want to step outside of myself and look through the Lord’s lens so I can better understand His thoughts and His ways.
A recurring theme keeps coming up for me, and I don’t think this is accidental. I want to unpack it here, even if it takes a couple weeks. I am really drawn recently to the story of the Israelite children. In fact, because it happened over the course of many decades, it almost seems like a book rather than a chapter or a story. Sometimes, I think we define our lives by what we are going through right now, and we determine, ‘Well, that’s my story.’ But it does not have to delineate us; it is often just a chapter in our lives, a headline—not our story, not our life.
For the Israelites, however, they wandered so long, that it became their life, and an entire generation died in search of something they literally had already been given and simply needed to possess. Isn’t that just like us? We’ve been given a promise—a word, a guarantee, has been given—and because of our not understanding the gift, nor the Giver, we meander through alleys and deserts, wasting years and tears, pursuing emptiness instead of receiving the fullness God intended for His children, finding ourselves washed up and at dead-ends, having wasted all the miles. What should have taken the Israelites eleven days to enter their Promised Land, eventually cost them forty years of wandering and grumbling through a wilderness of distrust and accusation, resentment and loss, rebellion and complaint. They chose to take a path that led away from God, not toward their Provider and the promises He had spoken over them. Because of this attitude and errant behavior and reliance on themselves, instead of God, they robbed themselves of so much that cost them many miles on a journey, of glorious seasons, of golden years, of benefit and blessing, of provision and promise.
But you know what? God never gave up on Israel. And He won’t give up on you or me either. No matter how far away or how long we wander. No matter how loud they clamored and complained, grumbled and groaned, fussed and sputtered, He still daily met their needs and demands. God has only ever wanted His children—the beat of His heart, the workmanship of His hands, the vision He had for fellowship with mankind—to choose Him, to seek Him, to want relationship with Him, to need Him. Daily. So daily He provides. Just as He did in the wilderness. Daily, He met their needs. While they meandered, refusing to trust Him, He still sustained them, administered to them, and implemented care for them.
God was the very first UberEats. It is thought-provoking to me that He prepared and served them daily ‘bread’, called Manna (‘What Is It’?), which spoiled after the day was spent. They weren’t allowed to store it; except for the day before the Sabbath, it lasted unspoiled for two days. In my opinion, I believe this was because God knew His children would be in relationship, in communion, with Him for the Sabbath, and thus, giving Him their devotion and attention. But, the other days of the week, they got busy, went about their schedules and routines—just like we do—and forgot Him—just like we do. They went about their own lives at their own pace and insistence—just like we do—so He caused them to depend on Him for daily nourishment when they likely would not have otherwise. I wonder what it would be like if we had to depend upon God today for our daily nourishment. Can you fathom what that might be like?! Not running to McDonalds for a Big Mac and fries. Starbucks for that cup o’Joe. Dialing up DoorDash, looking out the peephole for God to drop some bread from heaven.
Why do you suppose God does not meet our needs all at once? Why do we continually need to ask Him for help, grace, guidance, provision? In my opinion (again), I believe, He does not, nor will He ever give us all we ask for at once, because if He did, we wouldn’t have any need for Him. We’d forget that He is a God of relationship, and He desires our time and attention. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Like the Israelites, waiting on Him so they can be hand-fed, we are waiting here for Him, hand-to-mouth provision, heart-to-heart promise, grace-to-soul provision. And the goodness of God is this: He doesn’t even ration His catering; His mercy is liberally given.
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT:
What is your ’Promised Land’? _______________________________________________________________
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What mindset can you change so you don’t wander any longer and further than necessary? _____
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‘I hear the Lord saying, “I will stay close to you, instructing you and guiding you along the pathway for your life. I will advise you along the way and lead you forth with My eyes as your guide. So, don’t make it difficult; don’t be stubborn when I take you where you’ve not been before. Don’t make Me tug you and pull you along. Just come with Me!”’ (Psalm 32:8-9, TPT)
