Coffee With The Lord

Spiritual leaders have been (and often are) favorite targets of critical analysis and unjust criticism! It’s been that way for a long, long time… How they dress, their hygiene and grooming, their idiosyncrasies, their spouse, their children, something they say (or fail to say), where they live, what they drive, issues of personal style… You name it, all favorite targets for microscopic evaluation and negativity.

Question is…. Is the Lord pleased about it?

There’s an account in the Bible that was part of my reading this morning (Numbers 12) that should cause caution! In fact, it even involved criticism of a “family member” who was a spiritual leader.

Moses’ sister, Miriam, and Aaron, his brother, had issues with his spouse… “that Cushite woman!” they said. It didn’t stop there either… They were jealous of Moses’ position and influence… “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?”

Moses was NOT the kind of guy who fought back and sought to defend himself! In fact Numbers 12:3 declares, “Moses was very meek – more than all people who were on the face of the earth!”

But God heard their unjust criticism, and it angered Him! … And God defended Moses! “The Lord came down in a pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the tent of meeting” and He summoned Aaron and Miriam to come forward! He confronted them and defended Moses (read it for yourself in Numbers 12:6-8) He said, “Why were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?”

The Bible says, “The anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He departed… When the cloud removed from over the “Tent of Meeting,” behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow!” Aaron acknowledged their sin and pled with Moses to intercede in prayer for Mariam! And “Moses cried to the Lord, ‘O God, please heal her – PLEASE!’” And the Lord did heal her.

So just a word of caution… We need to be careful in our criticism of spiritual leaders! Our attitudes can be more poisonous and lethal than their perceived weaknesses and errors! In fact, our criticism may simply be a coverup for jealousy and envy. And if this account in Scripture teaches anything, it is that God is not afraid to defend His devoted servants (even imperfect ones)!

Believe me, Intercessory prayer is a much better approach! And one more word of caution… Guard your heart – keep watch over your attitudes!!!

An inspired message from God through Jeremiah appropriate for our nation…

“I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen!’ … O land! Land! Land! Hear the word of the Lord!” (From Jeremiah 22:21 & 29 – all of vss. 11-30 a worthy read!)

Someone needs this word of encouragement today about God’s justice!

Who… what… ultimately wins in life – the evil and powerful person, or the righteous and God-trusting individual?  Here’s what I read this morning from God’s word during my time of “coffee with the Lord”…

“Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day.  Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.  You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking what is right.  You love words that devour, O deceitful tongue.  BUT GOD will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living.  The righteous shall see and fear, and shall laugh at him, saying, ‘See the man who would not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his riches and sought refuge in his own destruction!’”  (From Psalm 52:1–7 ESV)