March 5th | Numbers 9

When I was a kid and unsure what to do in a certain situation, I would always ask my dad. I could go to him, and he always seemed to have the right answer! Now, I am a father, and my kids constantly come up to me and ask me how to do things or what they should do in certain situations. As I have gotten older in life, there are times when I will still ask my dad for direction but not as much as I did when I was younger. In our spiritual lives, we should run to our heavenly Father and ask for help! However, we don’t grow out of this need for God. There shouldn’t be a time when we fail to pray to him and seek His will for our lives. 

We Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Ask God for Direction

In Numbers 9, the entire community is told to remember the Passover on a specific day. Yet, a few people cannot partake in this festival because they have become unclean by moving a dead body that very day. They want to participate, so they ask Moses what they should do. I love Moses’ response.

Numbers 9:7-8  "And those men said to him, “We are unclean through touching a dead body. Why are we kept from bringing the Lord’s offering at its appointed time among the people of Israel?” And Moses said to them, “Wait, that I may hear what the Lord will command concerning you.”

Moses didn’t try to figure it out alone; he went straight to God. And you know what God does? He answers Moses! What a beautiful picture of God’s grace. If we ask, he will answer; if we knock, he will open the door (Matt 7)!

We Should Be Quick to Follow God’s Lead

Not only did Moses ask God, but he was also willing to follow Him where he led. 

Numbers 9:16-18 "So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night. And whenever the cloud lifted from over the tent, after that the people of Israel set out, and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the people of Israel camped. At the command of the Lord the people of Israel set out, and at the command of the Lord they camped. As long as the cloud rested over the tabernacle, they remained in camp."

How often do we fail to ask God for help? But even more so, how often do we fail to follow God’s lead? He is in control and desires to lead and direct you. He desires to answer and help you. Would you pause today and ask God for His help? Would you slow down and follow God’s lead?