“YES, BUT…”

A little boy hollers from his bedroom, “Daddy, daddy, may I please have another glass of water?”  The dad says, “But you’ve already had 10 glasses of water!”  The little boy comes back with, “Yes, but my room is still on fire!”

I really enjoy reading Old Testament stories.  Recently, I have been studying how God used Moses to deliver His people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt.  God performed some of the greatest miracles recorded in history to accomplish the release and delivery of the Hebrews to THE PROMISED LAND -- “the land flowing with milk and honey.”   He brought 9 plagues on the Egyptians; the greatest one was when God sent The Death Angel over the land and killed the first-born son of every household that did not have the blood of the sacrificial lamb on their doorpost. 

After Pharaoh told the Israelites to leave, God provided for His chosen ones.  Leadership through Moses, and direction was provided -- no maps, no G. P. S., no satellite devices; just a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They didn’t even have to stop to build a fire, cook food, and clean up because God provided “manna burgers.”  (You do understand this is the “Linda Smiley” version of this Bible story, right?)  All they had to do is step outside their tent, pick it up and eat it.  Then, when it was time for the next meal, there it was. God even saw to it that their clothes and sandals did not wear out for 40 years!  That’s pretty amazing in and of itself because my belts don’t even last one race season!  Then Pharaoh hardened his heart and went after the Israelites to bring them back to Egypt.  God parted the Red Sea providing dry ground for the whole Hebrew nation to cross on.  When the Egyptians came after them, Moses stretched out his hand and the water flooded over them, killing those who were chasing the Israelites. 

This is a pretty amazing show of power and protection, wouldn’t you say?  YET, the Israelites grumbled and complained all the way to THE PROMISED LAND! 

After wandering around for 40 years, the Israelites finally reached their destination, THE PROMISED LAND.  Moses sent 12 representatives to spy out the land and bring back a report.  Ten of the spies reported back saying, *“Yes, the land does indeed flow with milk and honey.  The produce is so incredible and large that even one cluster of grapes has to be carried on a pole between two guys, BUT we can’t go in there!  The cities are great and fortified and the people are giants!  We look like grasshoppers in their sight!  Come to think of it, we looked like grasshoppers in our own sight!  We can’t do this!  We need to assign new leaders to lead us back to Egypt!” All the people got so upset, they mourned and cried and carried on and on.

The other 2 spies, who happened to be Joshua and Caleb, tried to quiet the people down.  They told them, *“Hey you guys!  Calm down and listen to me!   This IS THE PROMISED LAND and we CAN do this!  After all, God isn’t with them, He is with us!  Perhaps if we get our act together and behave, God will give us the power to take this land as He promised!”  (Once again, this is the “Linda Smiley” version.)

You would think that they would have snapped back to reality and remember what they had been taught all their lives.  Instead, they got angrier and prepared to stone Moses, Joshua and Caleb (God’s anointed leaders.)

At this point, I sat back from my reading and shook my head.  I couldn’t believe those people could be so blind after all that God had done for them!  They acted so rebellious to the point of wanting to kill the very ones that God used to deliver them from slavery.  Here they were standing right in front of the very place generations before them had longed to see.  THEY were the ones who were chosen to actually see this age-old promise from the Creator of the Universe fulfilled, and all they could say was, “Yes, but…I want to go back!”  

As I sat there contemplating how crazy those silly people were, God tapped me on the shoulder and began to remind me of many times He had asked me to do something of obedience, and I answered Him with a “Yes, but…” answer.  There were things like, “I want you to start reporting ALL of your cash income from your nail business to the IRS.”  My response was, “Yes, but, God, I need that cash, and besides, I report most of my cash already.”  There was silence. 

I believe with all my heart, that God was giving me “that look.”  You know, the one your parents gave you when they had told you to do something and you tried to negotiate your way out of it.  Well, even though I died a very painful death of “doing it my way,” I finally committed to obey Him and He rewarded me over the next years so much greater than what I could have ever done in “doing it my way.”

That example was just ONE of the many remembrances of my “Yes, but…” days.  God walked me through memory lane just long enough to get me good and humbled until I realized that I was no different than “those silly Israelites.”   I, too, have to learn things the hard way.  I, as every other human being, learn things best by going through trials and tribulations.  BUT, today I thank God for those times.  I began to realize that, Linda Smiley, before trials, was a “Yes, but…” person.  I’m happy to report that, Linda Smiley, after trials, is becoming a “Yes, Lord!” person.  As I tell my sons, “I don’t really care what you have done in the past as much as I care that you learn from your mistakes and become teachable as a result.”

Where do YOU fit in the “Yes, but…Yes, Lord” scenario?  If you don’t think this applies to you, just take a moment to read the Ten Commandments to see if you have kept each one to a “T.”  None of us have, which is why God was so gracious to give His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to live that perfect life in our behalf.  “…that whosoever (that’s you!) believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life!”  (John 3:16)   “YES, LORD!  YES, AND AMEN!”

Linda Smiley

* Linda’s condensed version of the Bible story taken from Numbers 13 & 14 and Joshua 14