"Testing God's Patience: Lessons from the Israelites"

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Welcome back to the Dahlia Black Woman podcast. I'm your host Connie Morris

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and today we will continue our series, The Games We Play With God.

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This episode is titled Testing God's Patience.

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Have you ever found yourself grumbling or doubting God's provision even after

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he showed up in your life time and time again? If so, you're not alone.

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This is a game humanity has played for centuries,

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and we'll look at the Israelites in Numbers 14 as a clear example of what happens

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when we test God's patience.

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The Israelites testing God. So we're going to start in Numbers 14, 1 through 4.

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The Israelites who had just witnessed incredible miracles like being delivered

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from Egypt and seeing God part the Red Sea, began to complain when things got complicated.

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Let's go here to Numbers 14, 1 through 2.

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That night, all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud.

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All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly

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said to them, if only we had died in Egypt or in this wilderness.

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So they get free from slavery, and then they wish upon themselves that they

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would have died in Egypt or in the wilderness.

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How many times do we get free from one thing and we go into another thing,

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and it happens to be a little bit harder, right? Just It's a little bit harder.

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And we complain. And the Israelites, they wished death.

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Has anything been that hard where you wish that you were dead?

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Sometimes it feels that way, right? But when you wake up that next day and you

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are breathing, that means that God has given you another chance to win this fight.

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So let's continue here. It says, despite God's faithfulness,

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the Israelites doubted his ability to bring them into the promised land.

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Their grumbling wasn't just complaining, it was a lack of trust in God's promises.

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Are there areas in your life where you're doubting God's provision or timing?

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The consequences of testing God. The Israelites' lack of trust had serious consequences.

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God declared that none of the adults who had grumbled against him would enter

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the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb, who trusted in God, were allowed to enter.

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Now, Numbers 14, 27 reads, it says, How long will this wicked community grumble against me?

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I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.

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When God said it twice, it ain't nice, right?

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Numbers 14, 27, he says, How long will this wicked community grumble against me?

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I have heard the complaints of these grumbling Israelites.

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Testing God's patience doesn't just delay blessings, it can lead to missed opportunities.

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The Israelites wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of their lack of trust.

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What lessons can we learn from this? The testing of God's patience not only

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impacts us, but also affects those around us.

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Delaying progress and blessing our families and communities.

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So are you a grumbler and a complainer? So how do we test God in today's time, right?

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So we may not be literally wandering in the wilderness, but we still test God's

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patience in similar ways today. How did that look today?

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Number one, we grumble against provisions.

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We grumble about provision. Complaining about what we don't have instead of

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being grateful for what God has already provided.

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So that's why it's so important if you don't have a gratitude journal or any

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journal, if you're looking at what's always missing, you miss what's already been provided.

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Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have clothes on your back?

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Did your car start up this morning?

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Do you have just a few dollars in the bank? Do you have some food in your refrigerator?

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Are your kids healthy? Just little things. Are you thankful for that?

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Number two, do you have a job? Do you have your help?

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Number two, doubting his promises, questioning whether God will come through

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even after he's been faithful in the past.

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So just remember what he's already done. And I always remember he didn't bring

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me this far to just leave me, right?

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Number three, resisting his timing,

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trying to rush God's plans instead of waiting for his perfect timing.

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Just wrote another devotional on that one. Just being able to trust in God's perfect timing.

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Philippians 2, 14 to 15, it reads, do everything without grumbling or arguing,

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arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure.

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Children of God, blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a warped

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and crooked generation.

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I got to read that again. Do everything without grumbling or arguing,

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arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault

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in a world crooked generation.

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So if the church is complaining and the world is complaining,

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what makes you different?

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So he said, you want to represent me and not be the complainers,

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not be the one arguing and fussing, right?

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So gratitude and trust are the antidotes to grumbling and doubt.

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Here go some ways to stop testing God's patience.

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How do we do that? Number one, remember what he already done.

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Reflect on your past blessings and miracles in your life.

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He's not through blessing you, but you're grumbling and complaining,

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just like what happened in our last episode with Cora.

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You'll get sucked under the ground. So maybe, maybe not, but it didn't end well for him.

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Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget now all his benefits. Read Psalms 103,

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remind you of his benefits.

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So remember what he's already done.

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Jesus died on the cross for you so that you can have eternal life.

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That's enough. If he doesn't do anything else for you, that's actually enough.

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Find out what that means.

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What does that mean to you?

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Number two, trust his promises. Meditate on scriptures that remind you of God's faithfulness.

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For no matter how many promises God has made, they are yes in Christ.

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And so through him, the amen is spoken by us to the glory of God.

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2 Corinthians 1, 20, all God's promises are yes and amen.

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So as you're reading them, you can say yes, amen, yes, amen.

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Begin to read your Bible and find out what those promises are.

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So number one, remember what God has already done. It's written in his word.

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Trust his promises that what he said shall come to pass. And number three, cultivate gratitude.

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Replace complaints with thanksgiving.

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Give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will for you in Christ Jesus.

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Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will for you in Christ Jesus.

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1 Thessalonians 5.18.

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Give thanks in all circumstances.

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Give thanks in all circumstances. Like, how do I do that? Just try it.

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Give thanks in all circumstances.

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A lot of times we don't give thanks in all circumstances. It could be worse.

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So you say, ah, it could have been worse. If you're breathing and giving thanks, it could have been not.

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You could not be breathing, not giving thanks.

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So remember, it could have been worse.

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Amen. Let's go. All right, so let's declare these truths to realign our hearts

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with trust and gratitude.

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I decree that I will trust God's promises, knowing he is faithful to fulfill them.

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I decree that I will cultivate gratitude, replacing complaints with thanksgiving.

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And I decree that I will wait on God's timing, trusting that his plans are perfect.

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So what is the takeaway for this day?

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I challenge you to reflect on one area that you've been testing God's patience.

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Ask God, ask yourself, has God already been faithful in this area?

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And, you know, it's so good because you are thinking, you will think that,

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you know, God didn't even answer my prayer.

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And sometimes a no could be an answer. It was an answer.

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Dang, I didn't get that when I got, if I would have got some things that I asked

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for earlier in life, I don't know.

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That's like a good father. Like, it's not a good timing to give me that gift

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right now because I want to harm myself with it, right?

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Then what steps can we do to replace doubt with trust?

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What kind of things you can do that can replace that doubt with trust?

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I always recommend writing a gratitude journal, things that you're thankful for.

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So when you start thinking negative, change that attitude and start thinking

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about some things that you're thankful for.

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And that will remind you of God's faithfulness.

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Excuse me about that. So let's close with prayer. Heavenly Father,

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I thank you for your patience with us. Oh, yes.

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Even when we doubt and complain. Forgive us for the times we've tested your

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faithfulness and help us to trust you completely.

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Teach us to be grateful for all you've done and to wait on your timing with peace and confidence.

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In Jesus' name, amen.

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Wow. Thank you for joining me on this episode, The Games We Play With God.

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That was a short one, but it was powerful.

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And this message encourages you to share it with someone who needs to hear it.

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Subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.

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And we will discuss in game number six, Playing With Idolatry. Ooh.

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And I was also reminded that a copy of this devotional and other devotionals are on my website.

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The Diary of a Black Woman LLC.com. Until next time, stay trusting,

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stay grateful, and be blessed.

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I'm your host Connie Morris. Until next time.