Resisting Defense and Trusting in God's Mighty Hand

It amazes me sometimes how quick I am to defend myself against "injustice" in light of Who is in charge of my life. I long to humble myself, and to trust God's defense for His child, not my own defense. I am not saying revenge, but defense. God will decide His means of defending me (as well as all of His children), but I believe that He will defend.

Numbers 12 is a great picture of what God's defense will be and what our response should be against persecution. "Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses..." A quick look in Exodus reminds us that Aaron and Miriam were a part of Moses' own family! Sometimes even the closest people to us can speak against us. I do not know if Aaron and Miriam were speaking these words publicly or in secret, but "...the Lord heard this." Perhaps a warning to us that God hears every word we speak, and a comfort that God hears every unjust word spoken against us.

Then comes verse three: "(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)" Not that Moses was sinless, but it seems that of all men on the earth that deserved least to be "talked against," it was Moses. Just an opinion, but I can imagine that Aaron and Miriam's problems with Moses could have been solved if they simply would have gone and talked to him, for humble people are easy to approach. Either way, even if you are currently the "humblest man on the earth," men and women will speak against you in some way or another (and they may do so because they are jealous of your humility!). O that we may go to God with our heart cry and resist the urge to defend ourselves. May we let our loving, heavenly Father (Who is the God of the universe!) defend us.

Back within Numbers, God summons Moses, Miriam, and Aaron to the Tent of Meeting and defends Moses. In verses six through eight, God tells of Moses' special place in relation to Himself: "With him I speak face to face...Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? The anger of the Lord burned against them...When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam- leprous, like snow."
I do not know if Moses ever verbally defended himself against Aaron and Miriam's words "against" him. But I truly believe he didn't have to. For God heard the words and defended His beloved the way He knows best to, as He will us.

1 Peter 5:5b-7 concludes perfectly: "All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."