On Signs
I've been thinking of all the signs God kept giving since Genesis. And
I've been thinking of why God kept giving them because He doesn't really need a
sign. God never forgets; He doesn't need to be reminded. But I think the signs
were actually for humans. It's to remind us every time we see the signs that
God never forgets, He always remembers. God never leaves us, He's always with
us. Just like the rainbow, which has been there since Noah’s time and is still
here until now, God never forgets. His love never fails and never gives up on
us. Sometimes I feel like I need a sign to know that He's still with me or that
He still loves me. But I forget that regardless of the signs being there or
not, He's always with us and He always loves us
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Mario WP
God gives signs. But we should not rely on them alone. I remembered
this verse from Mark 8:12 about asking for signs. It reminds me not to go with
feelings when praying as well. Sometimes after I pray, I don't feel anything.
It's as if I prayed with my head and not with my heart. It’s as if I’m not
getting anything. But I was told that faith is not a feeling, so I shouldn’t
rely on it.
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Pat P
On Offerings and Sacrifices (Numbers 15, 28, 29)
There were too many instructions about offerings and sacrifices in
the book of Numbers. I was thinking, if Christ didn’t die for our sins, I’ll
probably be bringing doves, rams, and bulls to the tabernacle every day!
Reminded me how it was back home when we would just do the
"motions" of being Catholic like going to Mass on Sunday, putting
something in the collection box, etc. without actually knowing the meaning
behind it.
Given all these "instructions", I can't really blame the
people in Jesus' time to just be too caught up with the "motions".
This reminds me of what Jesus said in Mt 9:13, I desire mercy, not sacrifice.
Notice how they have a guilt offering, a sin offering, a burnt
offering, and even a sacrifice of wellbeing offering! And Jesus telling us that
He desires mercy not sacrifice strongly tells us that He is already the
ultimate sacrifice. That no matter what we give or offer, it won't be enough
because He has offered Himself already for our sins.
But despite that, because of that overwhelming love that He has
shown us, we are simply invited to offer ourselves to Him, not because of guilt
or for restitution for our sins, but as a response to that love.
-
Pat P
The law of giving sacrifice struck me. Sometimes when I give alms, I
prefer to just give money and then expect everything's fine already. But upon
reading the law, I realized that giving an offering to God is not the same as
dumping stuff on him, or giving while thinking "I give a lot already/I
give good stuff, so God should be pleased with me". Rather, it's about
giving an offering to God while putting our love and effort in it, with the
heart and humility of a servant who's serving his master or like a prodigal son
who wants to repay his father.
When we're giving offerings to God, whether it's through our
ministry or our wealth, we shouldn't think of giving a lot so God will be
pleased by the amount of stuff we give, while at the same time trying to avoid
any hassle and just want to get it over with. Instead, just like in the Bible
where God asked His people to prepare His offerings carefully, we should do so
while putting our effort and love, thinking not to get things done quickly, but
being careful and caring at what we do to ensure that it truly pleases God.
That extra effort and the sincerity that we show when we're giving offerings
make a big difference, maybe not to humans, but certainly to God. Same as the Cain
and Abel story I guess.
-
Mario WP
I remember the story somewhere in Matthew about those two people
giving alms. The other gave a lot, while the woman gave so little, but she gave
all that she had. And it was what mattered.
I never found it difficult to give, because it was easy to give when
you "have". Until one time during Lent, I was prompted to give all
that I had. I got scared, initially not trusting in His providence. But I
closed my eyes and gave everything I had that time. And it was amazing how
God's providence shone the whole week. Even when I had nothing, something would
happen and I’d still have something to eat, etc.
It is in giving that I got to trust more in His providence and saw
amazing things He can do.
-
Pat P
That's the one thing I've always struggled with. I don't think I can
ever give all that I have like that, that's why when I heard Fritz share his
story, I was stunned as well.
I guess the problem is that it's hard for me to tell whether it's
actually God prompting me or is it just my own thought that I just want to be
different by doing so even though God never asks for it. I guess I'm just
afraid if I've given everything but turns out it's not God asking me, then I
would have lost everything for nothing.
-
Mario WP
Do you really believe that? That God will allow you to lose
everything for nothing?
One day, sometime around mid-May, I finished cleaning the house and
was gleaming with pride seeing how shiny and clean everything is (again, OCD
haha). And all of a sudden, there was that inviting voice saying "Are you
willing to leave all of this for me?”
I felt anxious. And then I paused at that moment and I just prayed
that if it is Your will Lord God, please grant me the strength and courage to
do Your will.
Did I stand up and leave everything that very day? No.
I believe that if God has called us for that, He will make it
happen.
It is more of a welcoming, calm, invitation. Not a dictating,
forceful voice.
And if ever that day comes (and if it is really God's will), I know
I can draw strength from Levi and the apostles, who left everything and
followed Jesus. I can draw strength from the Old Testament characters like
Noah, Abram, etc. who just allowed themselves to be moved by God.
Oh, and let us not forget Job as well who lost literally everything
he had.
Don't get me wrong. He might not even want me to leave everything
behind. Maybe it was a test of faith. There is a tendency for us to overthink
God's plan when we can never have the same understanding that He does.
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Pat P
Does God Change His Mind? (Numbers 14)
In exodus and numbers, I have read a couple of instances wherein
Moses was able to change God's mind in regards to dealing with wrath to the
Israelites. Does God really change His mind? I'm a bit confused. I always
believed that God never change.
-
Pat P
So we know that God knows everything at all times so to say that God
changes His mind means He would know that He was going to change His mind,
which means He really isn't changing His mind if he decided to do something - all along from the human perspective it only appears that He had.
God does not change His mind. Because God knows everything, He knew that if He
threatened destruction, Moses would intercede. God does not change His mind. Back
in Genesis, when God asked Adam where He was, it didn't mean God didn't know
where Adam was in the garden. He put himself in a human perspective to be able
to communicate with Adam and in the same way the Moses issue which makes us
think God changes his mind.
-
Elizabeth E
The Census of Israel and Moses (Numbers 1, 26)
Is it just me or is everyone else impressed by the Israelites
census? Imagine what Moses could do with all that data! Reminds me of a quote
from one of my university Stats lectures: in God we trust, but all else must
bring data.
-
Surath F
Reading through the census they had at the beginning of Numbers (and
trying to do the math) makes me in awe of Moses. It was the same insecure Moses
who had so much excuses to God. And I now see how that "yes" he said
to God resulted to. He's responsible to 603,550 people (plus the 22,000
levites) before God.
Amazing how this man who made all these excuses to not go to Egypt
and speak to pharaoh was able to gain the respect of the people and led,
subdued, counselled, and prepared for war that much number of people in the
wilderness.
-
Pat P
Moses had such a profound legacy that when the true Saviour came in
the form of Jesus Christ, the Pharisees had such a hard time accepting Him.
-
Surath F
The way I see it, prophets were never appreciated during their times
or in their own places. When Moses was still alive, Israel tried to rebel
against him so many times, saying that he didn't have the right to rule over
them. In Jesus’ time, the people referred back to Moses even though when he was
alive they didn't actually listen to him as well.
I guess that's the human nature portrayed in the Bible - the ones who can never be satisfied with what they have. They
refused to hear the truth, not because they thought Moses was wrong, but
because of their pride and the hardness of their hearts. Same with Jesus as
well.
And if we think of our own lives, we are not better off compared to
them. I can remember many occasions where I rejected someone and God because of
my pride or the hardness of my heart. It reminds me of what Jesus said
"learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart".
I need to constantly remind myself to be gentle and humble in heart,
so that I don't reject the truth or God's soft prompting for my pride or the
hardness of my heart.
-
Mario WP
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