When Familiarity Causes Disobedience
I learnt something the hard way years ago. I still remember the first time I was asked to lead worship. I sat on the balcony of my room, asking God for a word, and He spoke so clearly—what to say and how to lead. So every time after that, whenever I had to speak or lead, I would go right back to that same spot expecting the same experience. But strangely, I heard nothing. The next time God spoke through a teaching at church. Another time, it was something my wife mentioned. Another time, it was through a conversation with a friend. I realised the issue wasn’t the place; it was my belief that God only speaks one way. Please understand that I’m not against finding a secret place for you to connect with God but my issue is that do not only think that’s the only way.
Let me connect that to something I read in the Bible. In Numbers 20, Israel is standing at a reset moment—an entirely new generation, because their parents were dying in the wilderness. Yet a familiar theme reappears. The people complain again. They want water. They say they’d rather have died in Egypt. They talk about the lack of fruit. It’s almost ironic—these are the same people who went into the land, brought back the fruit, and saw the miracles God did in Egypt. But sometimes, even when we’ve tasted God’s goodness, circumstances can frustrate us so deeply that we start speaking things completely outside His will. And that frustration doesn’t just affect us; it affects our leaders too.
God tells Moses to gather the congregation and speak to the rock. Notice the shift—back in Exodus 17, when this happened the first time, God told Moses to take a few elders with him and strike the rock. This time, God invites the entire congregation to witness the miracle so their faith can grow. The method changes, but Moses doesn’t. He lifts his hand, speaks harshly to the people, calls them rebels, and strikes the rock twice. And the water still flows—not because Moses did the right thing, but because God is faithful even when we are not.
But the heart of the story is in Numbers 20:12–13. God says, “You did not believe Me, to hallow Me.” Moses misrepresented God. First, by saying, “Must we bring water?” as if the miracle depended on him and Aaron. Second, by striking instead of speaking—falling back on what was familiar rather than trusting God’s new instruction. Third, by acting out of emotion, not obedience, and portraying God as angry when God wanted to show Himself holy.This became the waters of Meribah—waters of contention—where God still showed grace and mercy, even in the middle of unbelief.
Before we move on, let me ask you this: Where have you been striking when God is asking you to speak? Where have you fallen back on old habits, old methods, old emotions because they feel familiar? God is not calling us to repeat what worked in the past but to trust Him in the present.May we never become so familiar with yesterday’s methods that we fail to obey the voice of God today.
Every prayer, share, and act of support is deeply appreciated.
