Devotion: Reputation
Sometimes it can feel overwhelming trying to choose what to read out of your whole big Bible. Sometimes it’s intimidating knowing how to spend your quiet time with God when there are no prompts or guidelines. That’s why Collide’s Next Steps Coordinator, Michelle Holladay, wrote a devotion for every single week this year – so you can take the guesswork out of your devotional time and relax into prayer and reading. Join us on the blog each week for a new devotion.
In high school, much was said about one’s reputation. You certainly didn’t want to be someone with a bad reputation. And it was always comforting to have friends you knew would defend your reputation.
What about God’s reputation? Do you ever think about defending God’s reputation? Moses thought about God’s reputation. This is probably the thing that sticks out most to me in Moses’ relationship with God. When the Israelites rebelled against God for the umpteenth time God responded by saying to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the miraculous signs I have performed among them? I will strike them down with a plague and destroy them, but I will make you into a nation greater and stronger than they” (Numbers 14:11).
Moses had several options at this point. He could have thought about himself saying, “You know what God, I’m getting kind of tired of these people too! Let’s start all over with a fresh batch of people we can mold the way we want.” He could have been compassionate and thought of the people, begging God’s forgiveness and mercy. Instead, Moses thinks of God. He tells God he is worried what will happen if He destroys His people and the Egyptians hear about it. He was worried they would think God was not powerful enough to do what He promised and so He wiped the people out instead. In short, Moses was worried about God’s reputation and because of this he pleaded with God to change His mind.
How do you protect God’s reputation? Do you stand up for Him? Do you talk about the great things He has done in your life? Do you defend Him when you hear someone speaking a falsehood about Him? When a major earthquake destroys thousands of lives and people say, “How could a loving God let something like this happen?” do you have a response? In a world filled with those who are looking for every opportunity to discredit God, what will you do today to stand up for Him?
