Meat out your nostrils

"but a whole month [you will eat meat] until it comes out your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you; because you have rejected the LORD who is among you." (Numbers 11:20)

These people were complaining that what God had provided for them was not enough. They complained so much they became a burden to their leader and drove him to complain to God about how much of a burden their complaining had become. They all asked for meat because the manna was not enough.

So God, tired and angry at all the complaining, gives them the meat they asked for. He gives them so much meat it is going to come out of their nose. Getting more than we actually need will hurt our bodies. God is giving them what they asked for, but so much that it is going to hurt.

This is a punishment for rejecting Him as all they really needed.

Be careful what your heart and mind greedily wants. When is enough not enough for you? When is God and his love and his provisions not enough for you?

Our greed reveals how little we trust God, and I fear I trust God far too little.

Timeout

We have begun the wonderful discipline called 'timeout'in our home with our toddler. Certainly, you recognize some variant of timeout from your growing up. I certainly do. Mine (and my daughter's) took place in the corner. It is discipline which makes you stop for a second, step away from that poor choice, and 'think about what you have done'.

I do not want to see my girls keep getting hurt by their bad choices. So I discipline them for the bad choices in HOPES they will not continue to be harmed by them.

"For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines...but if you are without discipline, then you are illegitimate children and not sons/daughters...For we are disciplined for a short time as is best for us and our good. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful; but sorrowful; yet to THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED BY IT afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." (Heb. 12.6, 8, 10-11)

God will let others fall under the weight of their sin, but not his children. Children without a Father are illegitimate. Children without a Heavenly Father are eternally illegitimate.

But to those who belong to God will be disciplined for our poor choices in HOPES we will not continue to be harmed by them. We are disciplined in hopes we will learn from those things which keep harming us.