A Different Way of Living
I’ve learned a lot of new phrases and concepts in the past 6 weeks. “COVID-19.” “Sheltering in place.” “Flattening the curve.” “Social distancing.” Who knew that avoiding crowds, washing our hands, staying home and wearing masks could short-circuit a pandemic or at least alter the severity? I didn’t.
The strategy is so simple, it’s brilliant.
I’m also learning to connect with people using technology, I’ve celebrated Sunday mornings with my church on Facebook Live. Learned Zoom and started video-chats with a few friends. Participated in meetings on Webex. Plus, I’m working from home for the 1st time and I never thought I could.
Most importantly, I’m starting to stretch myself to pray in vital new ways. Because you and I can’t alter the outcome of this pandemic, but our God can.
How Aaron’s Prayer Short-circuited the Plague
At a certain point, God became fed up with the Israelites’ rebellion, arrogance and unbelief. Moses’ people experienced more miracles than anyone else in human history. Yet these former slaves from Egypt never managed to trust Yahweh when the next crisis hit.
Finally He had had enough.
God told Moses and Aaron to separate themselves from all the rest of the Israelites, because He was going to destroy all of them.
Both men promptly disobeyed.
Moses knew immediately what Aaron needed to do.
Then Moses said to Aaron, “Take your censer and put incense in it, along with burning coals from the altar, and hurry to the assembly to make atonement for them. Wrath has come out from the Lord; the plague has started.” 47 So Aaron did as Moses said, and ran into the midst of the assembly. The plague had already started among the people, but Aaron offered the incense and made atonement for them. 48 He stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped. (Numbers 16:46-48 NIV)
How many minutes did it take for Aaron to get his incense burning, run into the crowd and start praying? 10 or 15 minutes? Maybe 25 minutes? In that short space of time, 14,700 Israelites died.
This plague took seconds to kill someone. Yet it wasn’t random. There was a clear boundary line between the living and the dead. So that’s where Moses’ brother took his stand.
Aaron knew God would listen when he interceded for the people, because he was the High Priest.
May I tell you a secret? I think Moses’ and Aaron’s actions that day pleased God, because like mirrors, they reflected God’s true heart.
Time to Pray!
Here’s what I think. In his letter, Peter calls believers “a royal priesthood” and “a chosen people” (I Peter 2:9). Like Aaron, we too can stand “between the living and the dead” because we have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Heaven Father also hears us and pays attention because we’re his children.
We are in a perfect spiritual position to battle this coronavirus pandemic.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Pray about Praying: Let’s ask God to give us larger prayers to pray, every day. He’s quite capable of giving each of us daily “prayer assignments.”
- Find your Level of Faith: Faith is the currency of Heaven and it’s what the Trinity responds to. One simple test? Ask yourself, “Do I believe the words I just prayed?” If the answer is “no” than it’s probably not a God-given prayer.
- True Faith comes from God: He’s the author and perfecter of our faith and we can always ask Him for fresh faith in an area where we don’t have any.
- God-originated Prayers are Stronger: Sometimes it’s a real stretch. “Can I really pray that?” .Yet for me, there’s an excitement to praying prayers that didn’t come from my own mind.
All these images came from Pixabay.com.
Author’s Note: I apologize for this post being a day late, but this topic just wouldn’t “gel.” Yet I couldn’t go another week without writing on this topic.
Resources:
Read Numbers chapters 13-14 and chapters 16-17 to see this entire story.
