MANAGEMENT BY FORCE

"Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly
together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its
water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they
and their livestock can drink " - Numbers 20:8
 

Moses and the people had been traveling for days without water. The

people were thirsty. They were complaining and grumbling about their
plight, and Moses became the object of their complaining. Moses sought
the Lord for wisdom on how to handle the situation. The Lord instructed
him to speak to the rock and water would flow. This would be a sign that
God was still in control, that Moses was still the leader, and that God
was their provider.
When it came time to speak to the rock, Moses' disgust with the people
became so great that instead of speaking to the rock, he angrily
addressed the people and then struck the rock twice. The water came out,
in spite of Moses' disobedience. But the Lord was not pleased with
Moses.
This was a time for Moses to operate at a higher level. No longer was he
called to touch things with his staff to perform miracles; it was a time
for him to speak to the problem. His very words would have changed the
situation. Moses' staff represented two things-his physical work as a
shepherd of sheep and his spiritual work as a shepherd of the people.
God was calling him to move into a new dimension of using his staff. Up
to now, Moses had always been commanded by God to touch something to
perform the miracle. Now it was time to speak God's word to the problem.
However, Moses made the mistake many of us make. He used his instrument
with force to accomplish something for God. He took something God wanted
to be used in a righteous manner and used it in an unrighteous manner.
He used force to solve the problem. This disobedience cost Moses his
right to see the Promised Land.
Have you ever been tempted to use your power, skill, and ability to
force a situation to happen, perhaps even out of anger? God is calling
us to use prayer to move the face of mountains. The force of our ability
is not satisfactory. God is calling each of us to a new dimension of
walking with Him. Pray that God will give you the grace to wait on Him
and not take matters into your own hands. Then you will not be in
jeopardy of failing to move into the Promised Land in your life.