If you have not read the previous blog posts in this series, you can find them at this link.

Now crippled into inactivity by their thoughts, the people’s next action was to blame someone for their reality and the situation and predicament.  In our own lives, in the areas that we are feeling down, can we identify the stimuli or chain of events that got us there? Many times we may not even be conscious of how we got to the point of despair.  And when our world feels as if it is falling apart, the last thing we may want to do is assess what is happening. 

We may just want to ease our pain as quickly as possible, and this is where we may feel tempted to shift our focus as the people did.  Instead of taking responsibility for their actions and lack of faith, they ‘murmured against Moses and against Aaron’ (Numbers 14:2 KJV).

At this point all rational thinking had completely broken down and it was manifested in their words and actions.  And then someone else became the recipient of their frustrations.

And they lamented that they should have died before coming to that point.

They also accused God of bringing them that far to see them perish (Numbers 14:3 KJV), they said that ‘the LORD brought … [them] … unto this land, to fall by the sword, …’.

As we look at this chain of events, we can explore learning a different and positive sequence when challenges arise – allowing God’s wisdom to fill our minds and not our own wisdom.  We can ask God to help us understand His purpose, plan and leading in our lives; we can ask God to help us make the necessary adjustment to our approach.

When going through changes we have choices; choices to embrace the things that we need to be accountable for.  We with God’s help can choose to decide what we listen to, what we speak and what we decide to do and to seek a positive solution in the midst of uncertainty. 

The people succumbed to the natural trait of trying to place blame away from themselves.  As far as the people were concerned, they were small, they couldn’t win, they felt depressed, and the opponent was bigger than them.  Then their chain of clouded logic and their resulting perspective brought them to the conclusion that it was God’s fault.

So as we learn new sequences of logic and thinking, instead of blaming, let us remember always in times of uncertainty to trust God, who is the great problem solver, and be confident that we can always seek God’s help – God who is the only solution.

So when we are dealing with challenges, we can confront our fears in God’s power, have a correct view of the external as well as a correct view of ourselves, embrace an optimistic and joyful attitude and take responsibility for our actions.

The focus of the next blog post will be: ‘Dependency – Looking for Another Leader‘.