I remember as a middle school student before my family left to run errands running out to the car with my sister yelling “SHOTGUN!” Since my sister and I couldn’t drive at the time, we both clearly wanted to sit in the front passenger seat. Now, official ‘shotgun’ rules clearly state that whoever calls shotgun first gets the privilege… but as with all sibling encounters, sometimes this privilege comes with a little bit of a fight.
How many times in our lives do we claim things as “MINE!” When we call dibbs on something - do we accept part of the item or task at hand? Probably not... (after all… how easy would it be to cram 2 people in a front passenger seat) In calling dibbs on something we demand the whole.
What do you think when you read these words: ‘I AM THE LORD’. Do they mean anything to you? It struck me funny to read these words in the context of the book of NUMBERS being spoken in this active sense. Perhaps it is funny to me sometimes because of my lack of faith that disallows me to see that God IS still as active and alive as he was when these words were written. For us today reading the bible is easy because all we have to do is just read to the end of the story and see how God shows himself…it’s not this easy as we live in real time and usually don’t have answers by the end of the day.
In Numbers chapter 3, the Lord repeats himself twice in calling the Levites “mine” in verses 12 & 13. It is obvious that God has a very specific design, plan and purpose for Aaron’s family as clearly stated throughout the whole chapter because he claimed the Israelites as HIS people. He can do this because he says 'I AM THE LORD'! This is also true with us today. He calls dibbs on his redeemed people... (THAT’S US!) because HE saved us…
When God calls us to a task or asks us to claim something for him in our lives…he wants us to do it wholly…completely…to its fullest. No exceptions. And if he has called us to do something, he will give us the means by which we complete it. “Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.” He doesn’t want pieces…he wants the whole…whole obedience in us. For we are completely His…and He is Lord.
Has God asked you to do something that you have not fulfilled? It could be something as simple as obeying your parents or helping out a friend. Its time to listen specifically to what God is calling us to do…for he has called us His…and he knows what’s best for us.
How many times in our lives do we claim things as “MINE!” When we call dibbs on something - do we accept part of the item or task at hand? Probably not... (after all… how easy would it be to cram 2 people in a front passenger seat) In calling dibbs on something we demand the whole.
What do you think when you read these words: ‘I AM THE LORD’. Do they mean anything to you? It struck me funny to read these words in the context of the book of NUMBERS being spoken in this active sense. Perhaps it is funny to me sometimes because of my lack of faith that disallows me to see that God IS still as active and alive as he was when these words were written. For us today reading the bible is easy because all we have to do is just read to the end of the story and see how God shows himself…it’s not this easy as we live in real time and usually don’t have answers by the end of the day.
In Numbers chapter 3, the Lord repeats himself twice in calling the Levites “mine” in verses 12 & 13. It is obvious that God has a very specific design, plan and purpose for Aaron’s family as clearly stated throughout the whole chapter because he claimed the Israelites as HIS people. He can do this because he says 'I AM THE LORD'! This is also true with us today. He calls dibbs on his redeemed people... (THAT’S US!) because HE saved us…
When God calls us to a task or asks us to claim something for him in our lives…he wants us to do it wholly…completely…to its fullest. No exceptions. And if he has called us to do something, he will give us the means by which we complete it. “Give the Levites to Aaron and his sons; they are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to him.” He doesn’t want pieces…he wants the whole…whole obedience in us. For we are completely His…and He is Lord.
Has God asked you to do something that you have not fulfilled? It could be something as simple as obeying your parents or helping out a friend. Its time to listen specifically to what God is calling us to do…for he has called us His…and he knows what’s best for us.
After all…He said it himself… “I AM THE LORD… I get shotgun.”
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