Taking Shelter in a House of Cards

Bill and I have been reading through the “Chronological Bible in a Year” as our own study for this year. 

It has been an interesting experience.  Even though this is at least my 4^th time to read through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, it is the first time I have done it while reading aloud, and with another person.  You cannot skip parts when you are reading aloud; suddenly there are verses and perspectives that you never saw before.

While the Israelites were tromping through the wilderness, God’s instruction in Numbers to them is, “Whenever the cloud lifted from above the tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. ¹⁸ At the Lord’s command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. ¹⁹ When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the Lord’s order and did not set out. ²⁰ Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the Lord’s command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. ²¹ Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out.”

The Israelites did not know ahead of time when they were to set out, or when they were to settle down for a time.  For their entire wilderness experience, they had to look to God’s dwelling (the tabernacle) each day to know what that day was to hold.

As I have thought about this principle, I have realized that this can be found throughout scripture.  In “The Lord’s Prayer” we are to ask for our DAILY bread, not our weekly, not our monthly, but our DAILY. 

In Matthew Christ tells the crowd, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

We, however, do NOT live that way.  We have a great need to know what tomorrow holds.  As a society, many are ever looking at what has happened in “The Market” to see if life is secure, if their needs will be met.  We no longer look to God’s dwelling place, but to Wall Street.

We don’t see that Wall Street is an elaborate “House of Cards”.  We have built much of our lives on an artificial, fragile structure that can come tumbling down with the least breath of air.  Change and disaster are ever just a few points away.

And in fact, that “house of cards” has crumbled.  But, like the Israelites who ended up wandering for 40 years, we continue to look to the economy to recover, to be as it was before.  We are constantly wanting to go “back to Egypt” even though it means returning to slavery - the slavery of being dependent on a “house of cards” for our security.

I believe that God has/is giving us a chance to learn to trust Him for today’s journey, and trusting Him to provide for us each day - what He knows that we need.  It is difficult for us as American Christians, to do this, but God’s word is filled with promises that if we trust Him, He will provide all that we need, and our lives will be filled with abundant joy.

The Israelites were given clear and simple instructions on the best way to live their lives as a society and as individuals.  And following those instructions guaranteed that all their needs would be met, each day.  Christ repeats those instructions in the Gospels for us today.  We are to love God with our entire being, and to love others as we love ourselves.  It’s a simple formula, but when lived out in each of our lives, and if it could begin to permeate our society, we would no longer need to see shelter in a “house of cards” but would find security, and peace, and joy in the solid rock of Christ. 

amen