The Frustrated Leader

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TODAY’S SPECIAL: Numbers 11:1-15

TO CHEW ON: “So Moses said to the LORD, ‘Why have you afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your eyes that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? … If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness” - Numbers 11:11,15

How totally frustrated Moses sounds here! And who could blame him? Every step forward that he took the Israelites was met with pushback and complaining!

I did a short survey of other times people in the Bible felt discouraged, frustrated, and inadequate in their roles.

• David was no stranger to discouragement as seen in vulnerable psalms like Psalm 6:2.

• King Solomon started his reign feeling naive and inadequate - 1 Kings 3:9.

• Elijah comes to mind. He hid out for three years during a drought and famine that shriveled the land. Then he met with the Baal prophets in a showdown, defeated them, and the rain came. But did the people turn to God? No. Instead, Queen Jezebel threatened to kill him and he had to run for his life. His discouraged wish to die is in 1 Kings 19:4.

• Isaiah talks of how weakness and weariness is the experience of all, even the young - Isaiah 40:30.

• The disciples couldn’t stay awake to pray with Jesus in Gethsemane - Matthew 26:40.

What all this says to me is that discouragement, weakness, and human frailty is a fact of life. When I acknowledge these things in myself, I’m finally facing reality.

But, thank God, Moses didn’t stay in that down place, and neither do we have to. Tomorrow we’ll look at how God lifted him out of this I-want-to-die pit.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for being a High Priest who can sympathize with my weaknesses. I come to Your throne of grace to find mercy and grace to help in my time of need. Amen (prayer based on Hebrews 4:15,16).

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.