-
Lesson OneNumbers: Life in a Parenthesis5 Activities1 Assessment
-
Lesson TwoThe Bible and Two Crucial Disciplines for Studying It5 Activities1 Assessment
-
Lesson ThreeDeuteronomy and Joshua: The Benefits of Obedience5 Activities1 Assessment
-
Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Participants 88
Discussion Questions
-
In this lesson we learned that the Israelites complained a lot during their time in the wilderness—they weren’t satisfied with God’s provision. What can you learn from this that could help you process life’s difficulties more effectively?
-
Most of all not to complain and in humbleness receive God’s provisions, care, mercy, grace, and love. As well as, thank Him for all those things because God always goes exceedingly, abundantly above all we think or ask. Especially be more thankful and grateful.
-
Paul tells us (1 Cor 10:1-11) that these things happened and were recorded for us to warn us not to sin as they did. In particular, complaining is sin (v.10). If we are given to grumbling, we cannot be blameless and pure children of God who shine as lights in the world (Phil 2:14-15). Complaining is sin because we are not thankful to God for what He has given us. Complaining is unbelief because we do not believe that God has our best interests at heart and will help us through the current situation, however bad it seems. Of course, complaining is also a bad testimony to unbelievers who are observing how we respond to God in life.
I learn that, to process life’s difficulties more positively, I must affirm in faith that God my Father is the Giver of good things (James 1:17); I must give thanks to God through Jesus Christ (Eph 5:20); I must call on the name of the Lord to help me through this difficulty (Rom 10:13).
#Numbers
-
I can lear from the complaining Israelites that I should be grateful to God for His grace and benefits. God provides for me and He promises to take care and be with His people forever. Therefore, I have to trust Him in all situations because He does not go back on His promises. God never fails us.
-
True trust and submission to God. When one relies on God and not on self you can find even joy in the midst of suffering. When the believer is weakest and smallest that is when the faith and reliance on God grows strongest and deeper. God does not forsake His own. Yahweh, the Existing One (not meaning Lord as the lecture stated), will neither leave nor forsake a believer, and nothing is outside His view even the sparrows and aren’t His children more valuable than they? Complaining is sin, contentment is faith.
-
I can remind myself that often it is easy to look at the things we are unhappy with in our live or the things we don’t have. When we focus our eyes on those things, instead of the blessings and provisions of the Lord, we tend to grumble and complain. I need to remember that I don’t see the whole picture in my life and all that the Lord is doing in me at that time. I need to trust he is working for my good and that I should focus my mind of how he is providing in numerous ways.
-
Israel failed to enter the Promised Land as planned because of their mistakes. How do you respond when life doesn’t go as you planned?
-
This question is much like the previous one. But to state it differently, when life doesn’t go as I planned, I must affirm in faith that God does all things for good (Rom 8:28); I must ask God for wisdom to know what to do about this frustration of my plans (James 1:5); I must continue to give thanks, for this is God’s will for me (1 Thess 5:18). If deemed necessary, I might even fast and pray to discern whether God is putting away my former plans to make way for something new and better (Isa 43:18-19). Perhaps God might give me a nudge in the heart and a promise I can hold fast to in this direction.
#Numbers
-
As a human, I have sinned, have tried to run things on my own power instead of trusting in God’s mercy and provision. I have gotten to the point of calling upon Him as a ‘last resort’ instead of leaning on Him from the start. Over time, I have been making a concerted effort to let Him have it all and to follow His plans for me, and I am here to testify that He has been faithful.
-
I do not plan. Because of my job, things change on a dime and never go as planned so I have learned to be very flexible.
-
While not always the case, I trust in God’s plan. While I can’t see the end goal, God does and I want to trust that He is bringing my family to the place where we need to be, for reasons that we might not know for years or ever. I look at the positive in a situation and try to find what God is teaching me.
-
Life often doesn’t go as one would like it to go and therefore my plans have to be adjusted to the issue at hand and be taken out of my comfort zone and i fight it every time!
