By Jason Miller
Numbers 27:12-14 tells us…Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go up this mountain of the Abarim range and see the land that I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you will also be gathered to your people, as Aaron your brother was. When the community quarreled in the Wilderness of Zin, both of you rebelled against My command to show My holiness in their sight at the waters.” Those were the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.
Think of what is happening here…God promised to give the Israelites this land. Because Moses disobeyed God’s command, he was not allowed to enter into the land. So, throughout his service of leading the Israelites, he witnessed God do amazing miracles. He spoke with God directly. He stood in God’s presence. How devastating that must have been for him to know that because of his disobedience, he would not receive the reward of inheriting the land. If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘Facing the Giants’, then you remember the scene where the main character asks his wife, “If God never gives us children, will you still love Him”?
Wow! Have you ever really asked yourself that question? If God never gives us ___________, will we still love Him? Knowing that he would never enter the land that God promised His people, Moses had a choice. Would he still love Him? The next verse of the passage of scripture that I started this blog with provides us with a very telling answer. Verses 15-17 tell us…So Moses appealed to the Lord, “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community who will go out before them and come back in before them, and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the Lord’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd.”
Moses is standing at the top of the mountain. He can see the land that God is going to give to the Israelites. God reminds him that he will not go into the land. Moses is looking at the land that he will not get to see. If you’re not walking with God, your first thought might be…that sucks! I can imagine all the emotions that I would feel if I were in that position. I might be depressed, mad, sad, remorseful, etc. I may beg for forgiveness and ask for another chance. All of that places me at the center. It’s a selfish mindset. If selfishness is the opposite of love, how would I answer the question…if God never gives me the land, will I still love Him? Moses appeals to the Lord and asks Him to appoint a “pastor”…a shepherd…for His flock so that the people will not be lost. That was completely unselfish. Moses is saying to God…I love you. Your way is perfect. I am concerned about what you are concerned about. Your will be done…not mine.
In Sports Ministry there are countless opportunities for us to make decisions concerning our “flock”. As the “pastor” of this sports ministry, I am leading the people that God has entrusted to me. How often, as sports pastors, do we make decisions, big or small, without falling on our face before the Lord? How often do we seek the advice of men rather than ask God what He wants us to do? It’s easier to please men than to do what’s right in the eyes of the Lord. Doing what God wants us to do may not be what we think should be done and may require us to be uncomfortable. We all have a very funny way of needing to know the “sense” behind things. Sometimes, God tells us to do things that just don’t make sense. I pray that we as sports ministers would always seek the face of the Lord first and have faith enough to do what God wants us to do. God is preparing to do something big. May we not miss out on that reward because of our own rebellion.
