Priority One

“Do you intend to stay here while your brothers go across and do all the fighting?” Moses asked the men of Gad and Reuben. “Why do you want to discourage the rest of the people of Israel from going across to the land the LORD has given them? [Numbers 32.6-7]

It was a classic case of misunderstanding. Moses basically 'went off' on the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and the half tribe of Manasseh without knowing all the facts surrounding their intentions.

As the story unfolds however, intentions are communicated and the matter is settled peacefully and without incident.

Communication is an amazing, yet often underutilized, tool.

While the immediate implications of the statement above are considered most generally as we relate to other humans, should we not also consider the importance of our communication with God as it pertains to avoiding misunderstanding? Sometimes we may think we know God's will on a particular matter, when a patient meditation of His Word in prayer will clearly reveal otherwise.

This also reveals an important fact about God's Word and His will. It is progressive. And, in most cases, we are on a need-to-know basis with God. Jesus discussed this quite eloquently in Matthew and elsewhere:

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. [Matthew 13.12]

So how important is it that we communicate with God through His Word and prayer? It should be priority #1.

Father, help us to make communication with You our number one priority so that we might maintain a progressive understanding of You and Your will.