OUR DAILY BREAD ; PARKED FOR NOW

[cimi]

February 20
Saturday


PARKED
FOR NOW

READ:
Numbers 9:19-23
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I waited patiently for
the LORD; and He
inclined to me, and
heard my cry.
__Psalm 40:1
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Parking my car has been a lifelong problem for me. It really wasn't a high priority with my driving instructor, so I never learned to back up into a parking space until many years later. He also skipped the parallel parking lesson, and I still avoid that unless there's enough space for two or three cars.

I've also struggled to understand a statement I heard when I was a young Christian: "God can't steer a parked car." I took that as a challenge to shift my life into motion, and along the way God would guide me in the right direction. It's an interesting thought, but it's not always the way God works. Occasionally, God does want us to "stay parked" for a while.

At times, when Moses was in the wilderness, God kept the Israelites in one place. He led them by a cloud, and when it stayed still for many days, "the children of Israel...did not journey" (Num. 9:19). Waiting isn't always easy, but sometimes God wants us to stay right where He has put us. The psalmist reminds us, "Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart" (27:14).

You may feel that you're stuck and just spinning your wheels in your service for God. But keep your heart open to God's leading. Then you'll be ready to shift gears when you hear God say, "Let's go this way." --Cindy Hess Kasper
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```````````````````Praying, resting, waiting, trusting--`````````````
```````````````````These are words that tell a story;``````````````
````````````````````As we wait for God to lead us,````````````````
```````````````He responds, "Just seek My glory." __Hess``````````
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God orders our stops as well as our steps.

***************Today's Bible Reading __ Numbers 9:19-23*********

19 Even when the cloud
continued long, many days
above the tabernacle, the
children of Israel kept the
charge of the LORD and did
not journey. 20 So it was,
when the cloud was above
the tabernacle a few days:
according to the command
of the LORD they would
remain encamped, and
according to the command
of the LORD they would
journey. 21 So it was, when
the cloud remained only
from evening until morning:
when the cloud was taken
up in the morning, then
they would journey;
whether by day or by night,
whenever the cloud was
taken up, they would
journey. 22 Whether it was
two days, a month, or a
year that the cloud
remained above the
tabernacle, the children of
Israel would remain
encamped and not journey;
but when it was taken up,
they would journey. 23 At
the command of the LORD
they remained encamped,
and at the command of the
LORD they journeyed; they
kept the charge of the
LORD, at the command of
the LORD by the hand of
Moses.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

In the Bible, clouds (v.19) may indicate the presence of God. Christ
was surrounded by clouds after His transfiguration (Luke 9:34).
When He ascended to heaven, He went into the clouds (Acts 1:9-
11). And when He returns the second time, it will be in the clouds
(1Thess. 4:17). DENNIS FISHER