My faith mentor has been Moses. As a young, single man I found great inspiration in the example of Moses as the man of faith who trusted God when all the people in his care gave in to panic.
What I love about Moses is his ability to get a reward from God by his action of measuring something out from God’s supply. I call Moses my “Measuring Mentor”. He shows me how to measure out things from God: how to take hold of what God has to give and to bring it into reality.
I will explain the significance of this by first giving a Biblical basis for “measuring” then showing you how the nation of Israel failed to trust God. I will then contrast the example of the Children of Israel with the response that came from the heart of their leader, Moses. I trust by then that you will see what a powerful example Moses is.
What is Measuring?
I have shown you that God has a Storehouse of Grace which contains all the blessings we will ever need through all eternity. That Storehouse is filled with things which Jesus purchased for us. The key to the door of the Storehouse is faith.
Measuring, then, is the process of believing for the things which we are confident that God has for us in His Storehouse of Grace. Measuring is a term to describe putting in your order at the store. It is the process of determining what we can expect to get delivered to us.
If we have a tiny cup as our measure, then we will measure out tiny quantities. If we have a bucket, we will measure out more. If we expect God to get us through then we are measuring out the result of “getting through”. If we expect God to give us abundance, then we are measuring out abundance.
Biblical Measures
God takes “measures” seriously. His laws condemn the use of inaccurate scales. And God also warns that our decision about how we measure things will have direct impact on what is measured to us.
“For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged: and with what measure you measure out to others, it will be measured out to you again.” Matthew 7:2
“Give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, men will give into your bosom. For with the same measure you measure out with it will be measured back to you again.” Luke 6:38
Faith involves that process of deciding what we will measure out from God’s Storehouse. If we measure out little or much the outcome is decided by our faith.
Taking Hold
Measuring is part of that process of taking hold. While holding on, which we saw in an earlier lesson, enables us to hang in there, ‘taking hold’ encourages us to reach out and take possession of what we want to receive from God.
Jesus Christ taught us to choose what we would take hold of, in His simple instruction to us to “ask”.
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened.” Matthew 7:7,8
When you ask God for anything you are in fact taking hold of it. You are measuring it out for yourself. However, the degree to which you really believe God will give it is the level of your faith.
Faith Storms Heaven
Jesus spoke of people who pressed in to take possession of what God had for them. The Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus said, was stormed and taken possession of by those who were “violent”, or determined to have the blessings.
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12
Those who are bold in faith will take hold of the benefits of God’s Kingdom. The Roman Centurion mentioned in Matthew 8:10 is an example of a man who expected to receive a miracle from God.
Faith Creates Substance
The Faith Chapter (Hebrews 11) starts with the statement that faith takes the place or substance and evidence. Faith becomes the proof of the outcome, to the person who has that faith.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Faith acts as if the reality has already arrived. It does not wait for other evidence, since faith itself acts as the substance and evidence that is needed.
Faith is “Now”
Did you notice in that previous verse that faith operates in the “now”? Faith is not a hope for something tomorrow. Faith has a very present potency about it. Faith takes possession of God’s blessings in the here and now.
“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Faith operates in the “NOW”, not in the hope-so future. Faith steps out with the confidence that the substance is real in the here and now!
Israel’s Failure
The nation of Israel failed to have a faith that expected good things from God. With each new challenge they faced as they left Egypt and went into the wilderness caused them to panic, react and show that they did not trust God. All the miracles they had seen did not convince them that they could and should trust God. Israel is described in Psalm 78 in quite disparaging terms.
“…. a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.” Psalm 78:8
“They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law, And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had shown them.” Psalm 78:10,11
Israel provoked the Most High God, tempted God, spoke against God, did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation (Psalm 78:17-19, 22). Then they did not believe His wondrous works, were not steadfast in His covenant, provoked and grieved Him, tempted God and did not keep His testimonies (Psalm 78:32,37,40,56).
As a result of this refusal to have faith in God, Israel missed much of what God had for them. Psalm 81 gives some insight into what Israel failed to receive from God.
“So I gave them up to their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” Psalm 81:12
“He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied you.” Psalm 81:16
Israel experienced the miracle of water out of the rock, but that was less than God wanted to give them.
A further note about how they missed God’s best comes from Psalm 106.
“And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15
Moses the Measuring Mentor
While Israel measured out from God much less than He wanted to give them, failing to trust in God’s salvation and blessing, Moses, on the other hand, measured out God’s best. Moses remained strong in faith that God would come through and win the day.
At the Red Sea crossing, the Children of Israel panicked, but Moses declared that God would deliver them, even before God told Moses how the problem would be solved.
“And Moses said to the people, Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom you have seen to day, you will see them again no more for ever. The LORD will fight for you, and you will hold your peace. And the LORD said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel that they go forward” Exodus 14:13-15
See that progression. Moses spoke words of faith in God even before God spoke. A person of great faith will be bold to measure out God’s best, rather than think that God has abandoned them.
Moses Spoke Blessing into Existence
Further evidence of Moses as one who ‘measures’ blessing out from God’s Storehouse is found in Exodus 16. In this situation the people had no food or water. They complained and could not anticipate that God would do a miracle of supply for them. Moses, however, not only had confidence in God’s miraculous power, he presumed upon God’s ability, promising the Israelites more than God said He would give.
God spoke to Moses and promised to give the people bread in the morning. But when Moses spoke to the people, Moses promised them flesh in the evening and then bread in the morning. God was not offended by Moses’ display of confidence. Instead, God changed His own instruction to Moses to include the flesh, which Moses had spoken into existence.
“Then said the LORD to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you …” Exodus 16:4
“And Moses said, The LORD will give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full…” Exodus 16:8
“And the LORD spake to Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak to them, saying, At evening you will eat flesh, and in the morning you will be filled with bread; and you will know that I am the LORD your God.” Exodus 16:11,12
What Moses Did
At the Red Sea, Moses believed in what God had said – despite the natural evidence. Moses Held On in faith. Moses Claimed the Blessing. Moses Measured Out the Victory. Moses Took Hold of the Promises. Moses spoke as one who already had the victory. Moses had the Substance in his heart!
When God promised bread, Moses was so confident in God’s awesome power and love that he stepped beyond what God had said, in promising meat when God had only promised bread.
God honoured Moses’ faith and backed up what Moses had said. Moses Measured out MORE than God had said, and God delivered.
Measure for Yourself
Every time you choose to believe that God can and will come through for you, you are “measuring” something out from God’s Storehouse of Grace. Expecting that God’s blessing is there for you is the same thing. Making a claim, asking, seeking and knocking, storming heaven, laying claim, possessing the blessing – are all ways of describing the faith process of accessing what God has already prepared for us in Heaven.
So, go ahead and do some more “measuring”. God has prepared wonderful things for you. He is pleased by your faith to reach out to receive. So, call upon Him. Claim His blessings. Take hold of all He has for you.