BY GREG CRUM

“And it shall come to pass, that the man’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom: and I will make to cease from me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you…And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.” Numbers 17:5 and 8

In Numbers Chapter 17, we read of a growing conflict between the disgruntled children of Israel and God’s chosen leadership, Moses and Aaron. Some members of the congregation were questioning Moses’ authority to lead, so God intervened and set up a litmus test for the ages. Each tribe was to bring a staff (dead wood, mind you) with their name on it. The staff of the tribe that God intended to be the spiritual leaders of Israel for that time was going to come to life and grow blossoms. The expectation was set.

The result?

God exceeded the expectation. He didn’t just cause Aaron’s staff to blossom, but it budded, bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds! The moral of the story? First, proof positive to the Israelites that God had chosen Moses and the house of Levi to lead in that time. Secondly, it’s God’s nature to go above and beyond our expectations when He is involved in our lives!

Last week we began to write of how God is the master of going beyond our expectations. The Bible describes Him as El Shaddai—the All Sufficient One, or the God Who is more than enough, not the God who is “almost” or “just enough” or “a little left over.” For those that look to Him for their provision, He’s a God of too much and cups running over! This is His nature and His desire for His children, but we don’t always see this in the lives of believers. Why? Well, in order to move on our behalf like this God must be enabled to do what He desires to do. What? Yes, we must allow God access into our lives in this area by believing that He can and will do beyond what we ask or think. While it’s true God can do anything, it is equally true that in this Age of Grace, He will generally only move in our lives in response to our faith. 

Now, we finished last week with another thought along these lines, that, in fact, God was already doing “exceeding abundantly above all” that most people are asking and thinking. God is fulfilling His Word to us; it’s just that what He’s allowed to do isn’t all that He desires to do because our expectations of Him are so small. Some believers have bumped up to the limit of reception because they only expect so much from God. They have what they have (not much) because they don’t believe God can or will do any more. What’s the solution to this dilemma? We need to raise our expectations! We need to get our hopes up and believe God like we never have before because the higher we raise the bar the greater God can bless. 

So, how do we raise our expectations of God? Well, the first step is to make sure we are actually looking to God and not man for our provision. Trusting in the “princes of Egypt” for what we need is a splintered reed of a staff to lean on. If you’re still looking to your government check to take care of you, you’re going to have a hard time receiving all God desires for you. The state and the federal governments may have a lot of resources, but it’s not a drop in the bucket compared to what God has available to Him.

Secondly, we need to be mindful of what we allow into our minds, and in particular, what we allow our minds to continually think about. We need to be alert as to what we put in front of our eyes and into our ears. Remember, they are the gates to our spirit (heart), and what’s in our spirit will determine our reality (Proverbs 23:7). Ask yourself, “Am I thinking lack or abundance? Defeat or victory? Life or death?” The answer to those questions will let you know what you’ve been listening to lately.

Brothers and sisters, I encourage you to listen to the Word, listen to what God has to say. When you listen to Him and shut out all the other noise, you’ll begin to think as He does and then it will be so much easier for you to believe and receive the exceedingly abundantly above that He desires for you!

Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.