Friday Open Heavens Devotional - Know Your Place

MEMORISE: But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judge of no man. 1st Cor 2:15.

READ: Numbers 12:1-10 (below).

MESSAGE
Although Miriam was Moses’ elder sister and leader of the women of Israel, she was a casualty of God’s judgement in the wilderness. It is instructive to note that an individual occupying such a sensitive position could not escape God’s judgement when she goofed. For speaking against Moses, God struck her with leprosy. It took the intercession of Moses to reduce her sentence to one week; otherwise she might have died a leper (Numbers 12:13-15). From this example, every man should know their place and learn never to speak against God’s servants. The more anointed they are, the more dangerous it is to offend them. If Psalm 105:14-15 is anything to go by, God does not permit anyone to harm His anointed. If God’s anointed offends you, apart from telling the fellow directly, you can report the fellow to God who anointed him or her, and God surely knows how to deal with His anointed. Never take it upon yourself to speak evil of God’s anointed, and never attempt to cause such a fellow harm. If you do, God may have to defend His anointed against you. Anyone fighting God’s anointed is fighting the God who anointed him or her and with God, this can get very personal. Our God is a God of structure, order and government. From the example of Miriam in the wilderness, we understand that God follows the spiritual order of authority when judging His anointed servants. To this end, God expects his younger ministers to be submissive to higher spiritual authority. We
should also learn that our God is a God of justice who will judge any highly anointed  person who tries to take advantage of those under him or her. Are you highly anointed of God? God has placed you as a role model to those under you; you should therefore not misbehave because you are occupying a high ecclesiastical office. Don’t abuse your spiritual authority by cruelly lording yourself over your subordinates and making unreasonable demands. If your subordinate is right in a matter, God will judge you, the superior who has done wrong. This can be inferred from the case of David and Uriah (2nd Samuel 11&12). Today, many believers are suffering in several ways for fighting, opposing, obstructing and gossiping about God’s anointed. It is unfortunate that most people affected by this are not even aware of it. It’s time to deal with your problems at their root. Consider your attitude to God’s anointed today.

ACTION POINT: Examine yourself to see if you are suffering in any way as a result of your attitude towards God’s anointed. If you are, repent and restitute your ways.

Numbers 12:1-10.

1.And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2.And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 3.(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) 4.And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 5.And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth. 6.And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream. 7.My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. 8.With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? 9.And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed. 10.And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : EXODUS 10-11 AND ROMANS 7.