Are you Mad at God or the Church?

Being a Shepherd is such a privilege and an honor. If you are going to do it the Biblical way, it takes a whole lot out of you. Mercy on Shepherds Lord. I have shepherded different flocks at different times in my life. I want to really encourage a Shepherd that is growing weary. May God strengthen, undergird you and uphold you in Jesus name.

Numbers 20 KJV – ²  And there was no water for the congregation: and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. ³ And the people chode with Moses, and spake, saying, Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the Lord! ⁴ And why have ye brought up the congregation of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there? ⁵ And wherefore have ye made us to come up out of Egypt, to bring us in unto this evil place? it is no place of seed, or of figs, or of vines, or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink.

This account in the Bible is personal for me. I have been a leader over people that no matter what you do for them, it’s never enough. No matter how God uses you in their lives they are ungrateful, dishonorable and sometimes disrespectful. Moses led a stiff-necked and rebellious people. God did many miracles signs and wonders but they always returned to murmuring and complaining, This can be nerve-racking especially if in your estimation you are doing your best. I had come to a point where a group of people I was leading became disgruntled about seemingly everything I did or said, one accused me of cursing them. I had to really go to God about them. He spoke to me about myself, He said firstly that I have cursed no one because I do not have that kind of heart, but he said I have spoken unwisely at times because of the pain these same persons caused. He took me to this scripture and showed me that Moses did not express his frustration at any point or had an avenue of release in dealing with these people. As Leaders we have to be diligent to cast our cares, all of them on the Lord or else we are going to wound those we were intended to care for. Leading the right way is a lot of work and people can literally pull the life out of you and keep on moving.

Numbers 20 KJV – 6 And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces: and the glory of the Lord appeared unto them. 7 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, 8 Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. 9 And Moses took the rod from before the Lord, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.

Moses went before the Lord, he reverenced Him, and he was in the glory of God. Moses was told to take the rod and he did. He was told to gather people, and he did. But he lost it after that. The rest of God’s command seemed to have gotten lost in translation. The Lord said he struck the rock because he did not believe, nor did he sanctify God in the presence of the people. Moses, who had a perfect obedience record for 38 years, lost it. Moses called them rebels, this was the giveaway about how he was feeling about God’s chosen people. He had unresolved issues with the church. These unresolved issues with the church clouded his judgement and caused him to speak from a fleshly position. He did not give all the Glory to God as was his customary. The years of forbearing with the rebellious and stiff-necked people caught up with him, colored his view and marred his formerly pristine reputation. Sheep-bite can be very difficult to get over. When people just up and leave you and you have no closure, when you correct in love and it is taken offensively, when you have invested in every way in your sheep and they betray you, it’s hard. But don’t be mad at God, don’t be mad at the sheep. Find a healthy avenue of release and maintain good mental and heart health so you do not end up abusing those you are to be tender towards. Leadership the right way takes the grace of God. Let’s humble ourselves and follow the shepherding style of the Great Shepherd. God does not only care about what we do, He cares about how we are!