You know His voice. Still, like Daisy and Baloo camped in the way at the bottom of the stairs, you sometimes plant yourself where God wants to move and choose not to budge. Advent invites a fresh honesty about selective hearing and a renewed desire to say yes. God is good all the time, and His purposes are good; why would you not want to obey Him? Begin with one simple area today: acknowledge His nudge and choose a small, concrete yes. [03:51]
John 10:27–28: Jesus says His sheep recognise His voice; He knows them, and they follow Him. He gives them a life that death cannot end, and no one can tear them from His hand.
Reflection: What recent nudge from Jesus have you heard but sidestepped, and what single, modest act will signal your yes today?
Moses did the right thing by going to the tent of meeting, but he went in angry and came out angry. He had seen God’s glory and heard God’s instruction, yet his unresolved pain led him to strike the rock instead of speaking to it. When you are hurt, exhausted, or frustrated, obedience is harder; the heart needs time to settle before the Lord. Don’t rush the process—sit, cry, hand it over, receive, and wait until your spirit is quieted. Linger long enough for His presence to soften what anger has hardened. Then obey what He has said, not what your emotions demand. [17:17]
Numbers 20:6–12: Moses and Aaron fell facedown and the Lord’s glory appeared. God told them to take the staff and tell the rock to pour out water. Moses assembled the people, rebuked them harshly, and struck the rock twice; water still gushed out. Then God said, “Because you did not trust Me to honour Me as holy before the people, you will not lead them into the land.”
Reflection: Where are you carrying anger or disappointment out of prayer the same way you carried it in, and how might you practically linger with God this week—five extra minutes of silence, a journaled lament, or inviting a trusted friend to pray with you—until your heart softens to obey?
Aaron stood beside Moses, shared the same grief, saw the same glory, and yet stayed silent when loving intervention could have changed the moment. Sometimes the kindest thing is simply to sit and listen; at other times, love prompts a gentle reminder of what God has spoken. Wisdom knows the difference, courage acts at the right time, and humility speaks with tenderness. Don’t be passive with those you love—help them remember God’s faithfulness and keep walking. Ask for discernment, then offer words that heal rather than words that blame. [21:13]
Galatians 6:1–2: If someone is caught in a wrong, you who live by the Spirit should help restore them gently, watching yourselves. Carry one another’s burdens, and in doing so you live out the way of Christ.
Reflection: Who is one person you’re walking with who is hurting, and what specific promise or word from God could you gently remind them of this week—with their permission and at a time that serves them?
Moses said, “Must we bring water from this rock?” and reached for credit that belongs to God. We are partners in Jesus’ work—praying, serving, sharing stories, even leading someone in a prayer—yet the saving, transforming moment is always His. Celebrate every baptism, every breakthrough, every answered prayer with a “Hallelujah, Jesus,” not a “well done, me.” Honour Him as holy by stewarding your bit and giving Him the glory for the whole. Gratitude keeps our hearts low and our hands open for the next assignment. [26:58]
Matthew 16:18: Jesus said He would build His church on a rock-solid confession of who He is, and even the powers of death would not overpower it.
Reflection: Think of one recent ministry win or answered prayer; how will you publicly attribute the credit to Jesus—in a testimony, a note, or a conversation—so that He is honoured as holy?
Mary said yes without knowing the cost or the outcome; her obedience carried shame, mystery, and wonder, and it changed the world. Her yes also points to a greater yes—Jesus, obedient to death, even death on a cross. Obedience matters, and yet when we falter, God is still faithful; water still flows from the rock. Do not let regret over a past no rob you of the joy of a present yes; remember how God tenderly cared even for Moses at the end. Ask for the rhema word for this season, and trust Him as you step into it. Let your Advent be marked by a willing, hopeful yes. [40:40]
Luke 1:26–38: The angel told Mary she was favoured by God and would conceive a son by the Holy Spirit—the Son of the Most High—who would receive David’s throne and rule forever. Though a virgin, she answered, “I belong to the Lord; let what you have said come to pass in me.”
Reflection: What new, slightly risky step of obedience is before you this Advent, and what is the first small step you can take in the next 48 hours to say yes?
I opened with Daisy and Baloo because they remind me of me. They know my voice, and sometimes they still choose the sofa or the bacon. I know Jesus’ voice, and sometimes I choose selective hearing. That set the frame for looking at obedience—its beauty, its cost, and its consequences—through Moses and Mary. In Exodus 17, Moses obeys and strikes the rock; water flows. Forty years later in Numbers 20, in front of a different generation, God says “speak,” but Moses—tired, grieving, angry—strikes again. Water still flows because God is faithful, but Moses and Aaron lose the privilege of leading the people into the land. Obedience matters.
Why do we struggle to obey? First, vulnerability. Moses goes into the tent of meeting rightly, but he leaves as angry as he entered. Presence encountered, but heart unaltered. I know that pattern: I unload in prayer, but I don’t stay long enough for Jesus to reshape my heart. When we’re raw—tired, hurt, afraid—we must linger, receive, even weep, so we don’t pick up the same old weapons when we walk back out.
Second, community. Aaron is silent when a word of loving courage could have changed the story. There are moments to sit in quiet compassion; there are also moments to remind a bleeding friend of God’s word, God’s faithfulness, and their purpose. Accountable friendship is not passive.
Third, the heart’s credit-grab. Moses says, “Must we bring water from this rock?” The moment we take what belongs to Jesus—honor for his sovereign work—we lose sight of the plot. Fifteen baptisms since June? Praise God for every prayer, testimony, conversation—and praise Jesus for the miracle only he can do. He is building his church.
Fourth, seasons. What worked then may not be faith now. In one season, strike the rock. In another, speak. Prayer, worship, fasting, generosity—these are foundations. But the obedience of this season requires a fresh word, not yesterday’s method secured by today’s fear.
Then Mary. A teenager faced with a world-altering ask. No visibility on outcomes, no safety net, only the God who speaks. “Let it be to me according to your word.” Her yes points to the greater Yes—Jesus, obedient to death, for the life of the world. And for those weighed down by past no’s: God buried Moses with his own hands. The story is not over. Advent invites us to say yes again. I want to be known as someone who does.
This is about some of us who are walking with someone who is hurt having a view about that and deciding under God that we're going to help them move forward
[00:21:48]
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#WalkWithTheHurting
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