- araratchurch
- Aug 10, 2022
- 2 min read
“You shall not follow a crowd to do evil…”
Exodus 23:2a NKJV
We’ve all seen the images: young people breaking through windows and barriers to loot stores. We see a lot of this behavior during protests. At these times you see people do things they would not ordinarily do in a smaller group, and never do on their own. Yet, because the group is doing it, they also do it. This behavior is but one type among many we find ubiquitous in crowd situations.
Many of us have heard of human stampedes resulting in deaths and serious injuries, all because of panic. Fear, anger, even exuberance, can ignite behavior in crowds you would never see in smaller groups or with individuals.
Tragically, taking group dynamics and adding the extreme stress and threat from a crisis situation, can cause people to do ridiculous things, often rendering a much worse predicament.
It’s easy to get caught up in a moment of stress and allow yourself to be swept into action by a crowd. It’s like stepping into a raging river; your choice of direction is negated by the press of the current.
We see that Jesus warned that the pressure of the Last Days would bring an evil or destructive sway.
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
Matthew 24:11-13 NKJV
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
Luke 21:25-26 NKJV
Even today, the stirring being experienced all over the world is causing many people to get caught up in the tumult, taking them to no where good.
Today we find the Lord warning His people to not allow the pressure of crowd response to cause them to do evil. You see, the people are in uncharted territory. The challenges of coping with the uncertainty are being exacerbated by the arduous physical realities. These factors make the people vulnerable to acquiescing to the loudest voices; and that they did—more than once—to their own detriment!
Remember, don’t make the challenges of surviving a pressing worse by being swept in the wrong direction by the crowd.
For today write this in your “wilderness journal”:
The best way to keep a raging river from sweeping you downstream is to stay out of it.
- araratchurch
- Aug 9, 2022
- 3 min read
“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.”
Matthew 4:1 NKJV
I have been hearing a lot lately about a deficit in new soldiers that the United States military is facing. While there are many reasons for this, I want to focus on one.
From what I understand, among those who desire to be part of the military, a great percentage of them are now unable to complete the training. The issue seems to be that the age pool from which most military candidates come has become weak and flabby. As such, they are disqualified during the rigors of boot camp. Now, bear in mind, the military has already lowered the standards in terms of physical strength and ability. They have done this to be able to bring more women in and also to be more politically correct. The problem is, our enemies are not politically correct. They put their military candidates through stringent testing and do not lower their standards and expectations to appeal to a wider group of people. Now, given a wartime situation, what do you think this might mean for the success of the United States military going forward? We don’t need to answer that question; you know the answer.
Boot Camp is meant to prepare those who will possibly face combat while also disqualifying those who (because of their inability to handle the physical or mental stress) may put themselves or others at greater risk.
The fact is, no matter what it is we want to do or accomplish, we don’t really enjoy the testing associated with it. This fact is never more true than in dealing with the trial of our faith. Indeed, among the scriptures people look to for encouragement, we seldom see such scriptures as these:
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
James 1:2-4 NKJV
“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”
I Peter 1:6-7 NKJV
But, as these scriptures indicate, the testing we face is not arbitrary. Quite the contrary, it is meant to get rid of all that is not faith and strengthen what remains. Make no mistake—whether in the military or in our walk of faith—we resent testing at our own peril.
Today we are beginning a new adventure; but we are not leaving our journey with Moses. For the next 40 days we will look at how to survive the wilderness and how to emerge from a period of testing stronger and more prepared to fulfill all our purposes in God through Jesus Christ. When we left Moses, the multitude was not finished with their wandering. You see, the Lord delivered them out of Egypt; but they were yet to have Egypt delivered out of them.
I thought it appropriate that we begin our spiritual readiness tour with the fact that our Lord was not exempt from the process of testing.
We see today that Jesus was LED BY THE SPIRIT out into the wilderness to be tested. It’s interesting to note that this happened immediately after He was baptized by John the Baptist and received approval from heaven, along with the sign of the dove resting upon Him. We might think that at that point He had arrived. But the fact is, He had just arrived at the entrance to the place of testing.
For today write this in your “wilderness journal”:
If you can’t stand the test, you won’t endure the rest.