The long arm of the Lord

So I'm reading the book of Numbers. I really was not looking forward to it. As I mentioned in a previous post I am reading through the Bible in a year. The books of Leviticus and Numbers are not my favorite books to read. However, there are times when I read through something that seems really dull or insignificant only to have a verse or a thought leap off the page at me. This happened last Friday morning. Let me share it with you.

I am reading through Numbers and I come to chapter 11. The Israelites are grumbling about not having any meat to eat. All they have been eating is manna from heaven. They are tired and begin wishing they were back in Egypt where they had plenty to eat. They were under the bondage of slavery and were practically worked to death but that must have been ok as long as they had a variety of foods to choose from. The Lord hears their grumbling and decides to provide meat for them. This the what transpires between God and Moses:

Numbers 11: 21-23 - 21 But Moses said, “Here I am among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, ‘I will give them meat to eat for a whole month!’ 22 Would they have enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for them?”


23 The LORD answered Moses, “Is the LORD’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

Verse 23 is what jumped off of the page for me. “Is the LORD’s arm too short?" Obviously the answer is no until you find yourself in a bind. Unless you have no idea how you will feed six hundred thousand people fresh meat. Unless you just lost your job, unless your spouse just told you he/she no longer wants to be married to you, unless your kid is smoking dope and flunking out of school...right.

Take a look at these verses as a reminder as to who God is and what he can do. Maybe you have found yourself in a situation where you have forgotten just how powerful he is:

Genesis 18:14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

Jeremiah 32:17 "Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 32:27 "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

It's not God's arm that is too short, it is typically our memory of who God is that is too short. Spend time in his word to reinforce just who it is we have on our side.