From time to time, I share something that I have recently gleaned from my daily Bible reading. It is rarely anything “profound”, instead it is just some “golden nugget” that reminds me to keep my eyes on Jesus. This post is based out of the ninth chapter of the book of Numbers.

“¹⁵ And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. ¹⁶ So it was alway: the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. ¹⁷ And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents. ¹⁸ At the commandment of the Lord the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the Lord they pitched: as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents. ¹⁹ And when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the Lord, and journeyed not.” Numbers 9:15-19

At this time in Israel’s history, the Israelites were blessed to know exactly what God wanted from them, exactly where God wanted them to be, what direction God wanted them to go, and when God wanted them to stop. It was all about the Law that the people received and the cloud/fire that guided them. There were no doubts, because they knew how to behave by the Law. There was no doubt about their location either because the cloud/fire showed them where to go and where (and when) to stop and stay.

That blessed period did not last forever, for when they arrived to the promised land, the cloud/fire disappeared, they still had the Law, but they could not follow something (like a cloud) to know the specific location that was the will of God for their lives. They arrived at the promised land, and the land would be divided by tribe, but beyond that, they did not know the physical direction they must take daily.

Today we don’t have the cloud. We can doubt sometimes if we are in the place where God wants us to be, but we do have God’s Word to guide us. As Christians, we also have the Holy Spirit living within us. We can trust Him, that He will guide us to the place He wants us to be, and we have His Word that shows us how we should live for Him. We are not left without direction, our God is still at work in us and still guides us as His children.

Our first camp was a success! I think everyone had a great time and each camper was challenged by the Word of God in the services. We are thankful for summer camp, and we are praying that God continue to work in the lives of each person who attended!

We will have a special couples fellowship tomorrow afternoon. These are great opportunities to invite others who may never go to a church service. We will have a few games, a challenge from God’s Word, and the afternoon “merienda” (the Argentine version of “tea time”). Please pray for this special service!

I am a part of three different groups where I share my Bible devotions every day. One of those groups is my family. I look forward to reading what each member of my family has read in their Bible reading. We read the same passages, so it is fresh in my mind and heart. I look forward to it. I also have another group of friends training to be in the ministry. They have allowed me to be a part of their group to share our devotions together. I also have a group in Argentina with some of the people from the church we planted in 2017. It is a pleasure to share what I am reading and to read the perspectives of others as they are reading God’s Word, I enjoy it each day!

I am including something I shared with my friends that share their devotions with me. To understand, we must read Exodus 16:2-3, and 6-8…

“² And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness: ³ And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” Exodus 16:2-3

“⁶ And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: ⁷ And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? ⁸ And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.” Exodus 16:6-8

Is my murmuring and complaining really that big of a deal?

The congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron because they did not have something to eat. Not many days before, the congregation of Israel experienced the mighty hand of God and walked on dry land walled by the waters of the Red Sea. But now, in this passage, they complain and murmur. It is interesting that Moses told them that their murmurings were not against him, but against God, because God is the one who brought them out of Egypt and led them to that very place in the desert. So their complaints and murmurings were actually against God. God could have provided them food along the way, but did not, just to test or prove them. If God would do so to the nation of Israel, a question we must ask as Christians is, Will he do the same to us? I believe the answer is yes. God takes us to places of hardship to test and/or prove us. In these times as well as any other time, we should not murmur or complain.

Could it be that when I complain or murmur, that I am doing so against God? I hope not, but the reality is that God has led me to this point in my life. So then, in a sense, the answer is yes, when I murmur and complain, I am doing so against God. I fear God, I don’t want to murmur against Him. Therefore, I don’t want to murmur or complain at all. In times when I want to complain, instead, I should go directly to God in prayer and “vent” to Him, instead of complaining to others. I trust in God, wherever He leads me, I will follow, even if it means that I pass through times when I am tempted to complain or murmur.

Back in Argentina!

We are back in Argentina and have officially begun our second term! It is great to be back and see how God has worked in the church as a whole as well as how God has worked in the lives of individuals. It was also exciting to meet new brothers and sisters in Christ that have become part of the family of faith while we were on furlough. The attendance has grown and the church is excited to move forward. We have goals and dreams for this term, and although we do not know the future, we are confident in Jesus that He will be glorified!

We start this month off with our first camp (February is a part of the summer in Argentina)! We have had a great number of people sign up for it, more than we anticipated! Please pray that God is glorified, that lost are saved, and that saved our encouraged to do more for Jesus! We will end the month with our annual VBS. We have been doing this for years now, and it is always a blessing! Pray for us as we seek to invite children in the community to come be a part of these special services.

It is great to be back in Argentina. We thank you for your faithful prayers and support as we all serve together to reach the lost, encourage the saved, and plant churches!

Serving Together,
Patrick, Leslie, Lily, Piper, Ivy, and Isla Henry

Prayer Requests

• Pray for our first camp.

• Pray for our annual VBS.

• Pray for Faith Baptist Church.

• Pray for God to guide us as we begin our second term.