Courtney Gilmore Do your good works point people to God or to yourself? Do you help others so everyone will see how good you are, or so they will see how good your God is? Is the spotlight on you or Him, that’s really the question. When we elevate ourselves, we keep others from seeing the One that enables us in the first place.
Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.
Matthew 6:1-4
Twice Moses went to God because the people couldn’t find water in the wilderness. The first time, God told Moses to gather the people and then hit the rock. When he did this, God made water pour from it, giving the people and their animals something to drink. But the second time, God just told him to tell the rock to pour with water and then God would make it happen. But instead, Moses hit the rock twice and water came from it. Then, just because Moses didn’t do this one little thing exactly like God told him to, the Lord forbid him from taking the Israelites into the Promised Land.
On the surface, this sounds like a pretty extreme reaction. Moses had been loyal to God and led the people for the last 40 years. Why wouldn’t God not let him finish what he started and lead them the rest of the way? Was this one little difference in hitting the rock instead of talking to it really that big of a deal? It seems like Moses was just doing what he’d done before & probably thought it was fine. But just before he hit the rock he said:
Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?
Numbers 20:10
So, Moses was magnifying himself and Aaron by asking are WE going to have to bring water out of this rock for you? There was no mention of God. They left Him out completely. They gave Him no glory, no credit, & no distinction as the only One with the power to do something like that. As a matter of fact, they acted like they themselves had the power to do it and that they in fact were completely responsible. They caused the people to believe in them & not God.
Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore, you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.
Numbers 20:12
So, it was because Moses didn’t present God to the people as holy, set apart, and able to do things that people can’t. Later when God talked about this again, He said it was because Moses and Aaron were rebellious, unfaithful, & irreverent. Why did He label them like that? Well, they were going against Him by giving themselves credit instead of God, so that’s rebellious. They broke away from Him to exalt themselves, which is being unfaithful to Him. And they didn’t give Him the honor that He deserved, which is irreverent.
But still, why was the punishment so harsh? Well, by taking credit, they were almost presenting themselves as powerful as a god, which kept the people from recognizing the One & Only, True God. Because of this, God wasn’t also going to let them take credit for bringing the people into the Promised Land. The leader needed to be someone that would help the people trust in God & not in himself. They would be starting as a new nation, built totally on God, so their leader needed to be able to point them to Him instead of his own leadership.
A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor.
Proverbs 29:23
If Moses would have remained humble, then he would’ve retained honor, but instead his pride brought him low.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12
If he would have humbled himself God would have exalted him, but since he exalted himself, so God had to humble him.
John the Baptist said:
He (Jesus) must increase, but I must decrease.
John 3:30
These same lesson apply to us. We don’t have to elevate ourselves, because if we stay humble, then God will do it for us and we will keep our honor. But if we do lift ourselves up, then God has to humble us and bring us low. We receive the opposite of what we are looking for when we exalt ourselves instead of Him. We too must decrease so that our Lord may increase.
Take the focus off of yourself and put it on Him. Shine the spotlight on your God and everyone benefits.
Excerpt from Episode 94 “To God Be the Glory” on Podcast and YouTube
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