What is your response when discouragement seems overwhelming? The more we think about the situation the greater our frustration grows until we may even despair of life. The great British preacher, Charles Spurgeon, declared, “There are dungeons beneath the castles of despair.” If you have felt that way, then you’re in good company – Moses experienced that type of frustration in his life.

Moses had successfully led the people out of Egypt; however, their constant complaining was taking a toll on him. Those who have borne the responsibility of leadership know the burdens that leaders face. As Moses surveyed the situation, he felt the peoples’ pain:

Now Moses heard the people weeping throughout their families, each one at the entrance of his tent; and the anger of the Lord became very hot, and Moses was displeased. (Numbers 11:10)

As leaders, we must realize our limitations and our dependence upon God. Moses was relying upon his own strength and not considering God’s power. Moses became so discouraged that he asked God to take his life:

I am not able to carry all this people by myself, because it is too burdensome for me. So if You are going to deal with me this way, please kill me now, if I have found favor in Your sight, and do not let me see my misery. (Numbers 11:14-15)

If we give our burden to the Lord and listen to Him, then He will meet us. God graciously came to Moses in his time of need and gave him an amazing promise. When we work in our own strength and resources, we may conclude that the situation is impossible. We must bring our insufficiency to God’s all sufficiency.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Is the Lord’s power too little? Now you shall see whether My word will come true for you or not.” (Numbers 11:23)

God’s rhetorical statement, “Is the Lord’s power too little?”, is a common theme throughout the Bible. We must realize that nothing is too difficult for the Lord. Jesus reiterated this teaching in His ministry:

And looking at them, Jesus said to them, “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Clare Boothe Luce reminds us, “There are no hopeless situations; there are only men who have grown hopeless about them.” The title of this devotion is from a line in Horatio Spafford’s hymn, It Is Well with My Soul. He penned the words of this hymn as he was crossing the Atlantic Ocean to be with his grief stricken wife as they had recently suffered the tragic loss of their four daughters at the same location at sea:

When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well with my soul

RickRick Higgins

Associate Pastor – Discipleship.  The Church at LifePark