Miriam

Day 1
Miriam (Bitterness) is one of the great heroes of our faith. As a young girl, she helped save the infant Moses, Israel's future deliverer. Herself a prophetess, she exhorted and encouraged God's people and led the singing of the first psalm ever recorded in Scripture.

Exodus 20-21
Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,
Sing to God—
what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider
into the sea!

Strong though she was, she , like all of us, sinned against God and suffered a punishment designed to bring her to repentance.

Numbers 12:6-16
Listen carefully to what I'm telling you. If there is a prophet of God among you, I make myself known to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. But I don't do it that way with my servant Moses; he has the run of my entire house; I speak to him intimately, in person, in plain talk without riddles: He ponders the very form of God. So why did you show no reverence or respect in speaking against my servant, against Moses? The anger of God blazed out against them. And then he left.
When the Cloud moved off from the Tent, oh! Miriam had turned leprous, her skin like snow. Aaron took one look at Miriam—a leper!
He said to Moses, "Please, my master, please don't come down so hard on us for this foolish and thoughtless sin. Please don't make her like a stillborn baby coming out of its mother's womb with half its body decomposed."
And Moses prayed to God: Please, God, heal her, please heal her.
God answered Moses, "If her father had spat in her face, wouldn't she be ostracized for seven days? Quarantine her outside the camp for seven days. Then she can be readmitted to the camp." So Miriam was in quarantine outside the camp for seven days. The people didn't march on until she was readmitted. Only then did the people march from Hazeroth and set up camp in the Wilderness of Paran.

Day 2
Exodus 15:20-21
Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang to them: "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea."

Can you imagine the overwhelming joy that Miriam must have felt to experience true "freedom" for the first time? Our amazing God has also freed you from the bondage of slavery. It is through the blood of Jesus that each and every one of us lives with a new spirit. A spirit of joy.

Romans 8:1-2
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.

Take a moment today to praise our God for his amazing grace. Turn on your favorite worship CD and dance. Look up your favorite Psalm and pray with thanksgiving. YOU ARE FREE!!!!

Day 3
Numbers 12:9-15
9 The anger of the LORD burned against them, and he left them. 10 When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam—leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; 11 and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. 12 Do not let her be like a stillborn infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away." 13 So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!" 14 The LORD replied to Moses, "If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back." 15 So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back.

There are consequences to sin. You may damage someone else or yourself through your careless actions or words. The scars of sin don't necessarily disappear with forgiveness. When you accept Christ, your sins are forgiven once and for all. This forgiveness is what brings you back into a relationship with God and offers you the promise of eternal life. God forgives and forgets. God's forgiveness is unending and permanent. Allow God's forgiveness to change you. Whether you're making tons of bad choices in a difficult life season or staying close to God and growing in faith daily, God will hear your confessions. God wants you to grow up in faith and learn to avoid sin. When you ask for forgiveness, ask also for wisdom and strength to avoid the same sin.

Hebrews 13:20-21
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Day 4

In this small glimpse of Miriam's life we are given a picture of God's mercy. What does the picture of mercy look like in your life?

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." ~Jesus~

Each and everyone of us has committed sin against God. And we will continue to do so. But we have been given the ultimate gift of mercy. Jesus' blood was shed on your behalf so that you may know the righteousness of God.

1 John 1:5-10
Walking in the light
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

Day 5

Reflect on Numbers 12:1-15.
Praise God for His amazing grace and mercy.
Offer thanks for His forgiveness.

Take some time to do some honest soul-searching. Be sincere and confess your sin to God. Ask for forgiveness and wisdom. If you have a few moments find a creative way to physically release your sins to God. Collect a few stones and throw them into a river. Or you could write them on pieces of paper then light them on fire (in a safe place of course). Remember once you ask God for forgiveness it is taken away from you. You are "white as snow".