QUIET TIME FROM NUMBERS

Day – 1
Read Numbers Chapter 1

God is interested in you

God had asked Moses to take a census of the entire Israelite community. It was strenuous work. First, the age had to
be known. Then, the ones who could serve in the army were selected, and finally, they had to be separated by tribes.
It must have taken a long time. Can you imagine counting 46,500, 59,300, 45,650, 62,700…?

The total number of non-disabled men above the age of twenty was 603,550. Verse 54 says, “The Israelites did just
as the Lord had commanded Moses.” What obedience! From our point of view, we only see some tribes, names, and
numbers. From God’s point of view, every individual mattered. God was interested in who is who. We often say
God loves the whole world, yet the truth is he is interested in every individual. To put it plainly, he doesn’t love us,
but he loves us individually. We are not a number in God’s eyes. We are unique to Him. In Isaiah 62:3, God says,
“You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” Next time you see a list
of names and numbers, remember that God knows you by name.
THOUGHT

 TAKE TIME TO REFLECT ON HOW YOU CAME IN CONTACT WITH GOD’S FAMILY .
 SPECIFICALLY , THANK GOD TODAY FOR CHOOSING YOU.

Day – 2
Read Numbers Chapter 2

There is a leader for every Family

Just like God wanted them to be in a clan, we too belong to a family group. We see in this chapter that God
appointed a leader for every tribe. Indeed, each tribe had to follow their leader’s instructions and direction. Do you
know the names of the leaders in our churches? Roger, Yassa, Tamil, Jayashree, Boisang, Debzy, Pratap, and
Maheshwari. Leaders are not perfect, and this is a fact. Leaders make mistakes. Leaders at times may give you bad
advice, and let’s not forget the number of times we have followed our wrong advice. We see that Moses, David,
Solomon, Peter, and Paul were all leaders with flaws, but God still used them to lead his people. In our church, the
appointed leaders are spiritual, responsible, and have great marriages. Our hearts need to be with God and with our
leader.
THOUGHT

 ASK YOUR LEADER WHAT YOU CAN PRAY FOR THEM.

 THANK YOUR LEADER FOR WILLING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR SOUL. PRAY AND ASK GOD TO MAKE YOU A
LEADER ONE DAY .
Day – 3
Read Numbers Chapter 3

Modern-day Levite

Nadab and Abihu died when they made an offering with unauthorized fire. At times consequences are irrevocable
when we disobey God. Levi had three sons. The first was Gershon, from whom came the Gershonites. They were
responsible for the tabernacle and the tent. Kohath was the second son from whom came the Kohathites, and they
were responsible for the care of the sanctuary. Merari was the third, and the Merarites had to take care of the
tabernacle frames, posts, bases, and everything related. Just like in the book of Numbers, we too have brothers and
sisters who take care of different responsibilities in the church. We have song leaders. We have several sisters who
take care of the Kingdom Kids Curriculum. We have the setup team for worship service, which consists of several
brothers and sisters. We have ushers, Campus Leaders, and Teen Leaders. The washing of the cups and trays is taken
care of by our brothers and sisters. The administration of the churches is supervised by Pamela and assisted by
Jayasree and Amie. Ashwin and Sang work on the Website, Discord meetings, and Youtube uploads. Vignesh
oversees MercyWorldwide projects. Just as the Levites worked together, many brothers and sisters worked together
to make the Sunday worship service smooth and operational.

THOUGHT

 PLEASE WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE TO AT LEAST TWO DISCIPLES WHO SERVE IN YOUR CHURCH.

Day – 4
Read Numbers Chapter 4

Our God is a Holy God

In verse 15, God says, “no one must touch the holy things, or they will die.” In verse 19, God says, “not to come near
the holiest things or else they may die.” In verse 20, God says, “But the Kohathites must not go into look at the holy
things, even for a moment, or they will die.” Upon reading these verses, we get the idea that God is serious about
what he says. You must not touch, don’t come near, do not look even for a moment, and these phrases remind us
what may seem trivial for us is serious for God. God sets the standard of holiness. God defines what is holy.
We need to hold onto God’s standard and not ask God to lower his standards. We were all part of some church or
worshipped some odd God at some time. When we studied the Bible, it opened up our eyes to the standard of God.
One of the dangers of being a Christian and knowing the Bible is getting too familiar and making holy things
common. We need to always stand in awe of our God. God’s Word should be the ideals of our life. The word holy
means set apart. We are aware that God is a loving God, but we should also be mindful that God is a holy God too.
It was a holy God who died on the cross and redeemed us from our sins. He expects us to be holy. When we
became Christian, we decided to be on God’s side. Let’s renew that decision this morning.

THOUGHT

 WHAT AREAS ARE YOU NOT SET APART IN?

 MAKE IT A POINT TO DISCUSS THESE THINGS WITH YOUR DISCIPLER .
Day – 5
Read Numbers Chapter 5

The Law of jealousy

In verse 6, God tells Moses that when we are unfaithful to God and guilty of sin, we must confess the sin which we
have committed. Confession of sins is not just a New Testament but an Old Testament concept.

In verse 29, God dictates the Law of jealousy. The Law of jealousy was simply this: when a married woman was
accused of committing adultery or if the husband has jealousy because he suspects his wife of adultery, she should
undergo a test to prove her innocence. Why should an innocent wife go through all this because of a suspicious
husband? In some ways, it even seems that God is partial. The truth is God was protecting the woman. The times
under which the Israelites were living were a male-dominant world. The men of the surrounding nations practiced
adultery. The women, however, were restricted in many ways. If any man suspected his wife or found out that his
wife was having an illegal affair, he could beat the woman or even kill her. In the Israelite camp, the woman could
approach the priest and ritual to prove her innocence. The Old Testament law held the woman and the man guilty in
the case of adultery. The penalty was the same - Death. (Leviticus 20:10 - If a man commits adultery with another
man’s wife – with the wife of his neighbor – both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death).

THOUGHT

 SPECIFICALLY , TAKE THE TIME TO THANK GOD FOR HIS LAWS.

 IN WHAT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE DO YOU SEE GOD PROVIDING YOU PROTECTION IN THE CHURCH, IN RELATIONSHIPS , FROM
WORLDLY FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS ?

Day – 6
Read Numbers Chapter 6

Nazarite

The term Nazarite means “One dedicated or set apart.” A Nazarite was an individual who made an extraordinary vow
to God- an additional commitment to the Lord. Usually, the vows would be for thirty days, but some would take a
vow even for a lifetime. We see in verses 9 to 12 that a Nazarite was strictly forbidden to come in any contact with
the dead. Even if the contact was accidental, contamination has taken place. The Nazarite was to be restored to
God’s standard of holiness. Once again, we see God’s ideal for us is to be Holy. One of the things we need to realize
as Christians are –“It’s not about me, it’s all about God.” When I sin, I sin against God. When I repent, God grants me
repentance. I forgive because I have been forgiven. When I am doing great, it’s because of God’s grace. When I am
feeling low and down, that’s when he’s carrying me around. If I am alive, it is to help others survive.

THOUGHT

 DO YOU FAIL TO SEE GOD IN EVERY SITUATION ?

 EVEN DURING THE LOWEST POINTS OF OUR LIFE, WE NEED TO THINK GODLY AND TRAIN OUR MINDS TO SEE GOD’S HAND
GUIDING US.
 AT THE HIGH POINTS OF OUR LIVES , WE NEED TO THANK GOD FOR TAKING US TO THAT APEX AND GIVING HIM THE
GLORY .
Day – 7
Read Numbers Chapter 7

Our offerings to God

Going through the chapter, we may feel why Moses had to repeat the same procedure twelve times? The offerings
the Israelites brought showed their devotion to God. God’s approach to us is not general. What we do, how we do
it, our attitude towards God, our sacrifices, our prayer times, our wanting to study the scriptures, everything means a
lot to our God. Repetition of accounts helps us to get the big picture. Repetition also tells us that God values what
we do. Repetition also reminds us about the magnificence of worshiping God.

THOUGHT

 WHAT ARE SOME AREAS IN YOUR PRAYER YOU SHOULD ALWAYS ASK GOD AND NOT GIVE UP?
 HERE ARE SOME SUGGESTIONS TO IMPROVE OUR QUIET TIMES .
O PRAY DAILY FOR THE LOST PEOPLE BY NAME .
O PRAY TO G OD FOR YOUR WEAKNESSES .
O M AKE A LIST OF CHARACTER CHANGES YOU WANT TO SEE IN YOURSELF AND PRAY DAILY .
O R EMEMBER TO THANK G OD EVEN FOR THE THINGS THAT ARE SO NOT NEEDED .
O D EVELOP A GREAT QUIET TIME PATTERN THROUGH WHICH YOU CAN LEAD A G OD-FOCUSED LIFE .

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Day – 8
Read Numbers Chapter 8

Purification Mandatory

The Levites had a procedure of purifying themselves. This purification was done by sprinkling water, shaving the
whole body, and washing their clothes. Why was all this ritual needed for purification? One probable reason could
have been that it made the person spiritually fit to participate in the worship. The Levites had to be pure and free
from sin. The acts of washing and cleaning symbolize spiritual cleansing. Externally, cleaning themselves would prick
their hearts to be cleansed from inside too. God never compromises when it comes to having a clean heart. God
expects us to be pure. Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God” (Matthew 5: 8). We claiming
and living as Christian will amount to nothing if we do not have a clean heart.

THOUGHT

 ARE WE PRACTICING RITUALS ? FOR EXAMPLE , WE WOULD NEVER MISS A CHURCH SERVICE BUT HARBOR GRUDGES
TOWARDS OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS .
 TAKE TIME OUT TO TALK TO YOUR DISCIPLER ABOUT WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART UNCLEAN .
Day –9
Read Numbers Chapter 9

It’s time to move

After the Israelites left Egypt, God wanted them to celebrate Passover. It was to remember, the Lord passed over
houses of the Israelites, marked with blood, and thus their firstborns were saved.

God guided the Israelites, and the cloud was a sign for them. At night the same cloud would look like fire. It
probably provided them with light. Verse 17 says whenever the cloud moved, the Israelites moved. Whenever the
cloud would stop, the Israelites would stop and camp. Can you imagine shifting your house or room that often? You
do not get to decide when and where to move. Somebody is asking you to move, and you have to move. No prior
notice, no stipulated time is stated, and no reasons are given. Moving so many times for forty years would have
made the Israelites realize that their living on earth was temporary. As disciples in the Kingdom of God, we should
be ready to move from one city to another city or from one country to another to make disciples of all nations. We
should plant churches in Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Telangana, or Punjab. We need to understand that our responsibility is Afghanistan,
Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Praise God we have a church in Nepal! Let’s prepare our hearts to move
if there be a need.

THOUGHT

 ARE WE READY TO MOVE? IF WE ARE HESITANT , HAVE YOU IDENTIFIED THE REASON?
 BEGIN PRAYING FOR THESE STATES AND COUNTRIES MENTIONED.
 WHICH STATE IN INDIA OR COUNTRY WOULD YOU GO?

Day –10
Read Numbers Chapters 10

Extra pair of eyes

Everyone could see and follow the cloud by day. Everyone could see the fire at night and keep pace with it. In this
chapter, we see an exciting conversation between Moses and Hobab. Read verses 29 - 34. Moses is talking to
Hobab and asking him not to leave them. In verse 31, he says, ‘why can’t you be our eyes.’ Moses wanted Hobab to
come with them, and in return, he promised to share whatever good things the Lord would bless. Why did Moses
want Hobab to be his eyes when he had his own? Could the whole bunch of Israelites miss such a big cloud in the
sky? God gives us a general direction and advice from his Word. I guess for particular things, we need the extra pair
of eyes to help us walk spiritually, make the right decisions, choose the right life partner, and help us walk a
committed Christian life. In our church, everyone has a discipler. In many ways, our disciplers do their best to bring
out the best in us.

THOUGHT

 HOW EAGER ARE WE TO TAKE ADVICE FROM OUR DISCIPLERS ?

 DO WE FOLLOW THE GIVEN ADVICE , OR DO WE DO OUR OWN THING ?
 BEAR IN MIND THAT GOD CAN EVEN WORK THROUGH A PIECE OF WRONG ADVICE .
Day –11
Read Numbers Chapter 11

Our true Manna

The people started complaining about their hardships, and God sent a fire that consumed them. Lesson - ‘Stop
complaining that life is hard.

In verse 4, people began to crave other food. They wanted meat. They remembered the fish, onion, and melons.
They started to complain about the Manna that God was providing. The Bible says that God became exceedingly
angry. In his anger, God sent quail from the sea for food. The people gathered quail, cooked it, and started to eat it
when God struck them with a severe plague. Verse 34 says they buried the people who had craved other food.
Brothers and sisters, are we grateful for the food served at the breakfast, lunch, or dinner table? Some of our bodies
are extra-large and out of proportion, and we have no plans of reducing them. Some of us find it difficult to eat our
meals because there is no meat served. Let’s decide to be grateful to God for whatever our wives/mothers cook. Our
children are watching; our parents are watching; our siblings are watching. May, our true Manna, be feeding our
souls with God’s Word.

THOUGHT

 HOW EAGER ARE YOU TO STUDY GOD’S WORD?

 WHENEVER YOUR SOUL HUNGERS FOR GOD’S WORD, DO YOU FEED IT ?
 MEMORIZE MATTHEW 4:4.

Day –12
Read Numbers Chapter 12

Pride is dangerous

In verse 1, Moses’ brother Aaron and his sister Miriam begin to talk against Moses. Moses had married a Cushite
woman who was most probably Zipporah. However, that was not the real issue. Verse 2 makes things clear. The
real problem was comparing themselves to Moses – Moses was a spokesman of God. The Lord was upset and
burned in anger. Miriam’s skin turned leprous, and Aaron was begging Moses to save his sister. God hates pride.
Leadership is God’s business. Who leads? Who is in charge? Let God worry about it. Pride works in our lives through
comparison. Thoughts like- ‘I lead better’; ‘I sing better’; ‘If I were in charge, I would do it differently’; ‘I am more
trained’; ‘I am more handsome than the other brothers’; ‘I am the most beautiful sister’; ‘I am very talented’; ‘I earn
more money; ‘I hold a high position in my office’; ‘I have many degrees and am academically qualified’, can destroy
us. Once we allow pride to creep into our hearts, it is surely going to destroy us. You may be more gifted than your
leader, but to God, that doesn’t matter. How is Moses special? According to God, Moses was more faithful, and he
was the chosen one to lead Israel. End of discussion.

THOUGHT

 DO YOU SUFFER FROM THE DISEASE OF PRIDE ?

 WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD ?
 THE LONGER WE STAY AS CHRISTIAN , THE MORE HUMBLE WE SHOULD BE.
Day –13
Read Numbers Chapter 13

What’s your take?

God had asked Moses to choose twelve men to explore Canaan. They were supposed to go out, scout the land and
bring back a report. Though all of them agreed that the land flowed with milk, honey, and fruits, ten of them spread
fear in the heart of the Israelites. They reported that the people were powerful and influential and could not be
defeated. In Numbers 14:6 – 9, we see Joshua and Caleb imploring the people to have faith to attack the city. In
14:10, we see that the Israelites wanted to stone Joshua and Caleb. God intervened and rebuked the Israelites for
not believing in Him. God wanted to destroy the Israelites. Twelve of them saw, felt, and experienced the same
thing, but only two had the faith to conquer Canaan.
Here is what happened; the ten saw things from their point of view but two from God’s point of view. According to
the ten, the task was impossible because they were small and weak. According to Caleb and Joshua, the task was
possible because though they were small and fragile and few, they understood that nothing is impossible with God.
Many of us face life like the ten. We face a situation, and we feel, ‘I can’t overcome,’ ‘I am not the right person, ‘Last
time I was lucky’ or ‘I need my near and dear ones for support.’ For some of us, our hearts have grown cold. We
don’t believe God can work, and it is hard to trust God. The Bible says God was angry enough to destroy them. The
real question is, is it okay not to live by faith? Our take - it’s okay. God’s take, I am going to destroy you. It is God’s
take that matters. Let’s live by faith.

THOUGHT

 ARE YOUR EYES TRAINED TO SEE GOD OR TRAINED TO SEE THE PROBLEM ?
 IDENTIFY THE FEARS THAT TAKE AWAY YOUR FAITH .

Day –14
Read Numbers Chapter 14

Obedience versus emotions

In verse 33, God says that the children will suffer for the unfaithfulness of the Israelites. Short lesson: Our sins affect
our children, and it produces suffering in their lives.

The Bible tells us that the ten spies who spread a bad report were struck down and died of a plague before the Lord.
God spared only Joshua and Caleb. Upon hearing this, the Israelites mourned and set out very early the following
day to conquer the land. Moses warned them not to attack the Canaanites. Nevertheless, in their presumption,
they went. The Amalekites and the Canaanites attacked the Israelites and beat them up badly. Earlier, when Caleb
and Joshua tried to explain to the Israelites that they could indeed take over the city, the Israelites grumbled and
wanted to kill Joshua and Caleb. In short, they disobeyed. Now, when they had ten corpses of their leaders lying in
front of them, they wanted to go and attack. The Israelites were following their emotions. When God was with
them, they refused to attack, listening to the ten spies. Now to make the wrong right, they went and attacked, and
God was not with them. Many of us run our lives on emotions; we do things because of certain situations. We live
our lives on feelings rather than listening to God. We want to please men rather than God. We look for praises from
men rather than praises from God. Doing things out of obedience is more important than running around following
our emotions.

THOUGHT

 ARE YOU AN EMOTIONAL OR AN OBEDIENT PERSON?

  UNDERSTAND THAT WHATEVER MAKES YOU EMOTIONAL IS WHAT PROBABLY PROMPTS YOU TO DISOBEY.
 ASK GOD FOR AN OBEDIENT HEART

Day –15
Read Numbers Chapter 15

Tassels were no Hassles

God gave the Israelites various instructions about offerings and sacrifices. Rules dictating intentional and
unintentional sins were made clear. God wanted judgment to be fair. In verse 38, God wants them to make tassels
on the corners of their garment. These tassels would serve as reminders. The tassels were there to remind them to
obey the Law and not prostitute themselves by chasing the lust of their hearts. Indeed, God is practical. Some of us
need constant reminders about what God has told us in his Word. Maybe we need to memorize scriptures. For
some of us, we need to post or stick scriptures in our bedroom/mirror. Praying over the Sunday message the
following day helps. Discussing the leader’s meeting lesson with your discipler helps in many ways to make more
significant changes. For those who work on computers or laptops, maybe our first reading should be a Bible passage.
We need to be creative to remember God’s Word.

THOUGHT

 WHAT ARE SOME DISTRACTIONS THAT KEEP YOU FROM READING AND APPLYING GOD’S WORD IN YOUR LIFE ?
 DISCUSS WITH YOUR DISCIPLER SOME PRACTICAL WAYS YOU ARE GOING TO REMEMBER GOD’S WORD.

Day –16
Read Numbers Chapter 16

Pride only leads to destruction

Korah and his band of 25 followers rose against Moses. The Bible says they came as a group to oppose Moses and
Aaron.

Quick lesson: Though Aaron is now with Moses, he once upon a time was against Moses. Our lousy example does
affect people.

This time Korah’s complaint was, ‘Why did Moses set himself above the Lord’s assembly when God is with us all?’
Moses explains to Korah in verse 11 that it is against the Lord that he and his followers had banded together.
Opposing God’s leadership is equal to opposing God. As Christian, we need to understand that God is in charge of
his church. Nobody escapes God. If a leader is deceitful, immoral, and sinful, God will expose the leader and bring in
the discipline. We need to be humble and wait for God to work. Often we complain about our leaders and grumble
that they are not helpful. Here we see Korah and his followers destroyed. Pride is the first thing that God hates. God
opposes the proud (I Peter 5: 5). Are you a proud person? Do you feel superior? Do you crave the leadership title?
Do you think you can do a better job than your leader? We need to talk and repent of these attitudes.

THOUGHT

 PRIDE IS LIKE A NECKLACE . PSALM 73:6 OTHERS CAN SEE IT EASILY . ALLOW OTHERS TO SHOW YOU YOUR PRIDE .
 IDENTIFY PRIDE . CRUCIFY PRIDE .
Day –17
Read Numbers Chapter 17

Sin produces fear

The plague had stopped. More than fourteen thousand people were dead. God again speaks to Moses and asks him
to collect twelve staff from the leaders of the twelve tribes. God then asks Moses to write the name of the leaders
on each staff. Moses placed the staff in front of the ark, and the staff that sprouted overnight would indicate God’s
leader. The next day Aaron’s staff, which represented the houses of Levi, had not only sprouted but also budded,
blossomed, and produced almonds. Aaron’s staff was placed back in front of the Ark of the Covenant. When the
people heard this, their response was, ‘we will die.’ Sin produces fear, even fear of death. Many times when we sin,
we don’t go to God with a repentant heart. Instead of repenting of our sins, we think it over; we try to give reasons;
make excuses for it; justify it; pick someone else to blame it on, or choose not to talk about it. The proper response
to sin is to confess, repent and turn to God. Don’t let sin produce fear in you. The only person we need to fear is God
alone.

THOUGHT

 DO YOU REALIZE CONFESSION IS GOD’S WAY OF RELIEVING OUR STRESS , WORRIES , AND ANXIETY ?
 ARE WE FEARFUL OF DEATH ? DO YOU NEED TO CONFESS YOUR SINS ?

Day –18
Read Numbers Chapter 18

Contribution and its uses

In verses 21 to 24, God explained to the Levites how to live from the Israelites’ tithes. The tithe was a payment for
the Levites for the work they did. God expected his people to take care of their priests. We have a very similar way
in our churches. The contribution of the disciples supports the full-time workers. For example, the contribution we
collect in the Chennai church goes in for renting halls, snacks, organizing events on special days, all-night prayer, and
retreats. Next year, we have the South Asian Missions Conference in November 2022 in New Delhi. (Make sure you
apply for your leave). I am so excited about all the church leaders and administrators who take care of all the details.
Pamela, Prathap, Johnson are thorough and have done an excellent job maintaining the accounts. No contribution
money collected in our churches goes towards Raja or Debbie. The disciples of the church in the US have been
generous and sacrificial to support them.

THOUGHT

 THE MISSION’S CONTRIBUTION EVERY YEAR IS THRICE THE AMOUNT OF OUR REGULAR MONTHLY CONTRIBUTION . HAVE
YOU MADE PLANS TO MEET YOUR GOAL ?
 HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF SELLING SOMETHING AND GIVING THE PROCEEDS TO ADVANCE THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
Day –19
Read Numbers Chapter 19

Then and now

Here the Bible talks about a red heifer without defect or blemish. After being given to the priest, it was taken
outside the camp and slaughtered. Then Eleazar, the priest, would take some of the blood and sprinkle it seven
times toward the tent of the meeting. The priest then burnt the heifer. Later the priest had to wash his clothes and
bathe himself with water. The heifer’s ashes were collected and kept, and used for the purification of sin (verse 9).
These tasks have got striking similarities to Jesus. The red heifer represents Jesus. Without defect or blemish means
the life of Jesus without sin (verse 2). The heifer taken outside the camp is Jesus led outside the city of Jerusalem.
The sprinkling of the blood indicates the shedding of Jesus’ blood. Seven stands for complete. Hence, a sprinkling of
the blood seven times means how we can receive a full and unconditional pardon for our sins. The priest had to
wash in the water and only then come into the camp, so do we only after our baptism come in contact with Jesus
and his church. The waters of baptism represent the blood of Christ. (Ephesians 1:7).

THOUGHT

 ARE WE GRATEFUL FOR THE BLOOD OF JESUS SHED ON THE CROSS FOR OUR SINS ?
 READ ISAIAH 53 (I T TALKS ABOUT JESUS) AND PRAY THROUGH THE VERSES .

Day – 20
Read Numbers 20

Obedience to God versus Answer of God

The Israelites once again quarreled against Moses and opposed him. They compared Egypt with their present
situation.

Quick lesson: We have a very short memory. We forget the pain and suffering quickly.

The Lord had asked Moses to speak to the rock, and God would bring water from the rock. In verse 11, the Bible
says, Moses, struck the rock twice. God was upset with Moses because he did not trust him and honor him. There is
a powerful lesson to be learned from this. Moses, rather than speaking to the rock, disobeyed God by striking it.
Though he violated, God still answered Moses by producing water from the rock! We learn that results do not prove
our obedience to God. Many times in life, we are disobedient to God, rebel against God, grumble at God, stubborn,
and want our way, and God shows us grace by answering our prayers. Let us not get deceived by our answered
prayers. We must obey God rather than rejoice over our answered prayers. We know this disobedient act of Moses
prevented him from entering the Canaan land.

THOUGHT

 DO YOU HAVE AN OBEDIENT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?

 REFLECT ON YOUR PAST AND SEE THE TIMES THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DISOBEDIENT TO GOD. CAN YOU SEE THE EFFECTS OF
DISOBEDIENCE ? WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS LEARNED ?
Day –21
Read Numbers 21

Snake therapy

Once again, the Israelites grumbled about food and water. This time the Lord sent poisonous snakes among them
that bit the people. As a result, many died. The people acknowledged their sin before Moses, and they asked him to
pray to the Lord to take away the snakes. God asked Moses to make a bronze snake (Numbers 21: 8, 9) and put it up
on a pole. Anyone who was snake bit need only look at the bronze snake, and they would live. A strange way for
God to bring about a cure for snake bites. Why look at a snake for treatment? Wouldn’t that be idolatry? Why
couldn’t God provide some other healing method? The ways of God are, at times, strange. Jesus talks about this
very same incident in John 3:14, 15. Just as the snake was a curse among the Israelites, Jesus became a curse for the
world. Like the snake was lifted on a pole, Jesus was raised on a cross. Just as looking at snake gave life, anybody
looking at the crucified Christ would find eternal life.

THOUGHT

 ARE WE AWARE OF GOD’S DIFFERENT WAYS OF WORKING IN OUR LIVES ?

 A BAD BOSS , A ROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD , AN ABUSED CHILDHOOD, BETRAYAL BY A FRIEND , HURT BY OUR MOTHER OR
FATHER , STRICT UPBRINGING COULD SEEM LIKE A CURSE . T HESE MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED SO YOU COULD GIVE SOLACE TO
ANOTHER BROKEN HEART .
 PRAY TO GOD TO PROVIDE YOU STRENGTH FROM WITHIN TO HELP MANY SOULS.

Day –22
Read Numbers 22

Stop getting your feet crushed

Balak, the Moabite king, had been sending messengers to Balaam, the prophet of God. King Balak wanted Balaam’s
help to curse the Israelites. Balaam kept refusing till God asked Balaam to go and only do what he would command.
A strange thing happened on the way. An angel of the Lord was standing on the road with a drawn sword. Balaam
was riding a donkey. The donkey saw the angel, but Balaam could not. Since the donkey refused to move ahead,
Balaam was angry, and he beat the donkey. As they neared a narrow path, Balaam’s foot got crushed against the
wall. After the donkey spoke to Balaam, only then did the Lord open Balaam’s eyes. The angel once again reminded
Balaam to say what only God would command (Numbers 22:15).

At times we do not take God’s Word seriously. Here Balaam obeyed God when God said to go and meet Balak.
What is questionable here is, ‘was Balaam going to speak what God had commanded him?’ Many times we keep
doing what we want to do in life. We reject the advice of God and his scriptures because we want our way. Then our
feet get crushed. We are then screaming, shouting, abusing, and blaming everybody else. We are quick to say you
are not my friend, you don’t understand me, you don’t care about me, and you don’t feel for me. We are looking for
someone to blame for our lack of spirituality. We miss seeing the angel and hurt ourselves by our own foolish
decisions.

THOUGHT

 WHEN YOU COME ACROSS A BLOCKED PATH , PRAY TO GOD TO SEE BETTER.
 DECIDE NOT TO GET BITTER OR WISH BAD FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE TRYING TO HELP YOU.
Day –23
Read Numbers 23 & 24

Balaam, the evil prophet

We see how Balaam wanted to speak only what the Lord had asked him to speak in these two chapters. Balaam
never cursed the Israelites but only blessed them. Balaam constantly told King Balak he could only say what the Lord
had commanded him. Though Balaam never cursed the Israelites, he taught Balak how to destroy them by enticing
them to eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality. In Revelation 2:14, Jesus was against some
Christians who held on to the teaching of Balaam. The teaching of Balaam is reflected in us when we indirectly cause
others to sin, weaken disciple’s faith, and make others doubt God’s Word. Some do this by appearing spiritual. We
need to watch our hearts. In our relationships, we got to be careful not to get trapped by Balaam’s teaching.

THOUGHT

 DO WE PLEASE GOD, OR DO WE PLEASE PEOPLE ?

 DO WE LOVE PRAISES FROM GOD, OR DO WE LOVE COMPLIMENTS FROM MEN /WOMEN?

Day –24
Read Numbers 25

Phinehas – Zealous for God’s honor

Balaam’s wicked plan worked. The passage starts with the Israelites indulging in sexual immorality with Moabite
women. God had commanded Moses to kill all the leaders who had yoked themselves to Baal. While Moses was
probably addressing the people, an Israelite man called Zimri brought a Midianite woman into a tent right before
their eyes. Moses was perhaps too shocked to act. God sent the plague. A man named Phinehas grabbed a spear
and drove it through the man and the woman. The Bible says that 24,000 people had died because of the immoral
act. God was proud of Phinehas and commended him for being zealous for his honor. How are we when we see sin?
How do we deal with sin in our own lives? Do we compromise? Do we rationalize? Do we make excuses for our sins?
How are we when we see our brothers and sisters in sin? Do we act like Phinehas? When we see sin, especially
immorality, we need to raise the spear, drive it in to pull our brother or sister out of it. Let’s decide to have deep
convictions like Phinehas.

THOUGHT

 WHAT IS STOPPING YOU TODAY FROM HAVING CONVICTIONS LIKE PHINEHAS ?

 ARE THERE THOUGHTS AND ATTITUDES IN YOUR HEART THAT YOU HAVE NOT TALKED ABOUT ?
 DECIDE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR SIN AND KILL IT .
Day –25
Read Numbers 26

Make your life count

In verses 63 to 65, Moses counted the Israelites. The entire batch of men present was not the same as estimated in
the Desert of Sinai. Of the original men, God had permitted only Caleb and Joshua to enter Canaan land. What a sad
situation! The destroyed Israelites had witnessed the ten plagues, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, seen
the pillar of fire, collected Manna every morning, and saw the presence of God as a cloud every day. Forty years of
everything, now amounted to nothing. All the toil, labor, push and pull, singing songs and dancing, and the times the
Lord had been good amounted to nothing. These people had destroyed their own lives. When we decide to follow
Christ, we need to brace ourselves up and be prepared to keep walking and not look back. We should not falter in
times of trouble; instead, we need to make our lives count. When we face challenging times, hard times, times of
unbelief, doubt, even times of slipping back to our old sins, we should never give up. We need to fight to make our
life worth like that of Joshua and Caleb.

THOUGHT

 TAKING A RISK FOR GOD’S HONOR IS WORTH IT.

 HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT THE WORTH OF YOUR LIFE IS ?
 TAKING PEOPLE TO HEAVEN IS WHAT MAKES LIVING WORTHY.

Day –26
Read Numbers 27

Leadership

Moses’ last days were nearing, and God had chosen Joshua to replace Moses. In Verse 18, God asked Moses to lay
his hand on Joshua. God asked Moses to pass the mantle of leadership to Joshua. We are often confused about
leadership. We think leadership has a position. We tend to control people, give orders, make everyone run around,
be bossy, and rebuke people. The leadership that God approves of is one of humility. Bear in mind that the all-
powerful God was willing to be born as a baby. During Jesus’ life on earth, he was willing to ask God for instructions
and directions in life. A humble leader is, in fact, a strong leader.

THOUGHT

LEADERSHIP IS :
L - LEANING ON GOD - HOW IS YOUR PRAYER ?
E - EAGER TO LEARN – HOW QUICK ARE YOU TO IMITATE ?
A - ASKING ADVICE – ARE YOU ASKING OR INFORMING ?
D - DESPERATE TO SAVE SOULS – WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU SAVED ONE?
E - EXCELLENCE – ARE YOU EXCELLENT IN WHATEVER YOU DO ?
R - RISK-TAKER – FOR GOD’S HONOR OR YOUR HONOR?
S - SERVANT ATTITUDE – DO YOU INITIATE TO SERVE ?
H - HANDLE PRESSURE – PROBLEMS MAKE YOU STRONG OR CRUMBLE ?
I - INSPIRING LIFESTYLE – DO PEOPLE WANT TO IMITATE YOU OR NAVIGATE AWAY FROM YOU?
P - P ARTY TYPE – DO YOU CHILL WITH THE CROWD OR KILL THE CROWD?
Day –27
Read Numbers 28 & 29

Why does God need offerings?

God talks to Moses about different offerings. First was the food offering which, required two lambs a year old
without defect. Then there was a Sabbath offering and even a monthly offering. There was also a new grain offering
as well as the Passover. Why would God require so many offerings? Did God need these offerings? The truth is, it is
not God but us who need the offering. Performing these offerings helped the Israelites to understand that God
wanted people’s fellowship and devotion. God wanted them to give their time. He wanted people to be involved at
the soul level. God wanted them to think about their actions. God let Jesus die on the cross not because he sinned,
but we sinned. Payment for sins had to be covered. So whenever you read the gory details of the different offerings
and the ordeal the animals had to go through, hopefully, it reminds us that the poor animals had taken our place.
Jesus, the Lamb of God, made the final offering.

THOUGHT

 HOW GRATEFUL ARE YOU TO GOD FOR THE SACRIFICE OF HIS SON JESUS?
 HOW AWARE ARE WE WHEN WE SIN?
 HOW SENSITIVE ARE WE IN RECOGNIZING SIN?
 PRAY TO GOD TO GIVE YOU A SOFT HEART .

Day –28
Read Numbers 30

Women are extra special

Reading this passage, we see how the father could forbid his daughter from implementing any vows made to God. If
the daughter marries and makes a vow or utters a rash promise, her husband could intervene and change the status
quo. God was giving special rights or privileges to women. Keep in mind that the nations surrounding Israel treated
women as second-class beings, slaves, prostitutes, or objects of sex. A woman would have no rights, say, or
protection. A man could have a physical relationship with as many women as he wanted. Men would have a woman
as a wife, another woman to do the daily chores, another woman to fulfill his sexual fantasies, and another woman
to bear children. Sisters! Can you imagine living in these times as a non-Israelite? (Men don’t let your imagination
run wild)
God had high expectations from the Israelite men. They could not treat women in a dishonorable manner. Fathers
were expected to help out their daughters. Husband had to love their wife.

Sisters are treated with special honor and respect in our church. Single brothers- Be protective of the sisters!
Married brothers! Help out your wives. Let’s have the same heart that God has towards women.

THOUGHT

 MARRIED BROTHERS, DECIDE TO MAKE YOUR WIFE MEMORABLE EVERY WEEK.

 SINGLE BROTHERS SHARE AND APPRECIATE ONE OF THE UNMARRIED SISTERS AT CHURCH .

____________________________________________________________________________________________
Day –29
Read Numbers 31

God is just

Often, we read about God ordering Israelites to annihilate their enemies. At times, it is war, and at times, we feel
even the innocent get killed. In verse 18, God asks them to save every girl who has never slept with a man. The
Midianite women had seduced the Israelite men, and the Midianite boys and men had waged war. Hence they had
to be put to death. The virgin women were spared. Though they obeyed God, the soldiers were rendered unclean
after the battle because they had blood on their hands. They had to be purified, and only then would they be
welcomed into the camp. Even things they had captured had to be purified. Why were the soldiers unclean even
though they obeyed God? The fact that they had killed at God’s command did not annul their responsibility to God’s
other laws. There is a profound lesson to be learned here. Just because we obeyed God in some aspects does not
permit us to sin in other areas. God’s standard of measurement was the same and is the same whether it concerns a
Christian or a non-Christian. God does not compromise. He does not show favoritism. If Christians are unclean, God
expects us to be clean. If the non- Christians need to be protected, then God protects them. The way God exercises
judgment is so excellent!

THOUGHT

 ARE THERE AREAS IN YOUR LIFE WHERE YOU HAVE COMPROMISED ?

 TAKE TIME OUT TO TALK TO GOD AND TALK TO YOUR DISCIPLER .

Day –30
Read Numbers 32

Choose Wisely

God expects wholeheartedness. Here in verse 11, not one of them 20 years or more entered Canaan land. What is
shocking is the choices of the Reubenites and Gadites. They wanted pastureland outside the boundaries of Canaan!
It’s like God giving us heaven, but we want to settle in a First world country. The east of the Jordan river was highly
fertile, providing lots of grazing land for their herds and flocks. They were probably tired of traveling. God also
allowed them to settle even if it was not in their best interest. The lesson to be learned is just because God allows; it
does not mean it is right or approved by God. God is Sovereign. He will enable us to make choices, hoping we will
choose wisely. You may ask, “What if I make a wrong choice?” God is still Sovereign. He is teaching you or someone
else a lesson.

THOUGHT

 WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH , DO YOU STILL CLING TO GOD?

 HAVE WE LEARNED OUR LESSONS ?
 IS THE SAME LESSON BEING TAUGHT TO YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN ?
 ASK WHAT I MUST CHANGE AND WHY GOD DOES NOT CHANGE THE SITUATION .
Day –31
Read Numbers 33

Packers and Movers

Have you ever shifted your house? Verse 1 to 49; God kept track of the number of times and places they moved.
Also, we see that the Israelites relocated often. Debs and I have moved from Chennai to Hyderabad, again to
Chennai, then to New Delhi, back to Chennai, and now finally in New Delhi. In total, we have moved 22 times in our
27 years of marriage. These moves have made us understand that “This world is not our home.” It also helped us
perceive that this world is a temporary place, and it’s not the palm trees or the springs that take care of us. It is God
who takes care of us. The Israelites reached a waterless land, and at this point, they might have talked about missing
those twelve springs. God wanted to give the Promised Land, but the Israelites had to work and fight for it. The
concept of work never changed, whether it is in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:15) or our present life (1 Peter 1:17). God
probably had no intentions of giving the Israelites a comfortable life. Christianity is about working and not lazing
around. Philippians talks about working out our salvation. We think salvation is free. Yes, it is; but it’s also priceless.
However, as Christians, we’ve got to move and work for God.

THOUGHT

 IF ASKED TO MOVE, WHAT WOULD YOU DO ?

 HOW WOULD YOUR HEART REACT TO MOVING ?
 DO YOU PUT YOUR SECURITY IN THE WORLD OR GOD?

Day –32

Read Numbers 34

Boundaries in life

Our God is sovereign. He draws boundaries and defines boundaries. Boundaries have a lot to teach us in life. Verse
13 says that Moses drew lots, and the tribes took their positions. Whatever the outcome, the people concluded it
was the Lord’s will and didn’t consider their desires greater than it. The way God draws boundaries has great
significance in our lives--our environment, growing up, school, home, college, and office are directly under God’s will.
We need to stop complaining and comparing. Often in marriage, we don’t understand our boundaries. We cross
boundaries when we say, ‘you never loved me, ‘you always do this, ‘I hate you, ‘I made a mistake marrying you, and
in some cases, men mistreat their wives. What does the Bible teach? God unites a man and woman to be one. The
reason there are marriage problems is that we don’t go to God for strength. Marriage is a spiritual event, and it takes
spiritual power to keep it going.

THOUGHT

 DO WE SEE THE BOUNDARIES ?

 THOU SHALL BE HOLY AS I AM HOLY . B E SET APART AND DON’T MIX WITH THE WORLD.
 READ JAMES 4:4 FRIENDSHIP WITH THE WORLD IS HATRED TOWARDS GOD.
Day –33
Read Numbers 35

Cities of Grace

In this chapter, God allots towns for the Levites. Six cities were assigned as a refuge for those who sinned
unintentionally. If anyone would sin accidentally, they could take shelter in these cities. If anyone was pursuing
them, then they could not harm them. They had to stay in that city and could only go back after the high priest’s
death. We see here God showing grace to people who sinned. Many times we think that God is gracious only in the
New Testament. Grace is a character of God.
In the same way, today, God gives us grace when we sin accidentally. After our high priest, Jesus Christ, was
crucified, we are free. In verse 34, God says clearly not to defile the land as he dwells among the Israelites. Today,
the expectation is the same; God lives among us and expects us not to defile ourselves with sin.

THOUGHT

 DO YOU UNDERSTAND GOD’S GRACE?

 AS GRACE IS GIVEN FREELY TO US, LET ’S GIVE FREELY TO OTHERS .
 IS THERE ANY SIN IN YOUR LIFE ? TALK ABOUT IT.

Day –34
Read Numbers 36

Heavenly Inheritance

God is just. Even though Manasseh had no sons, God made sure all his five daughters got their share of property as
mentioned in Numbers 27:1-7. In this chapter, the family heads of the clan of Gilead were concerned about
Zelophehad’s daughters getting married to other Israelite tribes. They did not want to lose their ancestral property.
God commanded that they marry among their father’s tribe. In the same way, God expects us to marry only within
his Family (Kingdom). Verse 10 says that Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded, so their inheritance
remained in their father’s tribe. In the same way, when we hold to God’s commands, our heavenly inheritance is for
sure.

THOUGHT

 SINGLES , IS THERE A STRUGGLE TO MARRY OUTSIDE ? TALK ABOUT IT .

 ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU ARE NOT CLEAR.
 GOD’S WAYS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN OURS.