Assignments, the Sacred & a Sinkhole

http://www.channel.com/news/articles/science_technology/huge+guatemala+sinkhole+appears+after+tropical+storm+agatha+batters+central+america/3665832

The Kohathites were assigned by God to carry the holy things out of the temple, only after they had been covered by Aaron and his sons, who had permission to physically touch the holy things. (Numbers 4) Korah, a descendant of the Kohathites and cousin of Moses and Aaron decided this was not good enough for him and his descendants. He felt that Moses and Aaron “took too much upon themselves”. (Numbers 16:3) As the story is told in Numbers 16:31-33, “Now it came to pass, as he (Moses) finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly.”

That’s it. God gave the Kohathites an assignment, they complained about it, and when they went before God, He created a huge sinkhole and swallowed them up. When God gives an assignment, we should not covet the assignments He has also given our brothers and sisters. No matter how small it may seem to us at the time, it is important that we follow His guidelines and His word.

This past weekend, a great sinkhole was formed in Guatemala as an aftermath result of the season’s first tropical storm. A three story building was swallowed up into the earth. It is terribly deep, so much that all that the building was made of is gone without notice of where it once stood. The media has reported that old drainage systems compounded by heavy rains caused such a catastrophe. Whatever the case may be, the elements have once again shown us our limited control on natural circumstances.

I wonder how many of us would covet the gifts, things, and possibilities of others if we had to imagine our life ending in that sinkhole. Many of us live in spiritual sinkholes every day, for we have no appreciation for what we have been blessed with or called to do. Oh sure, maybe we don’t make the money we know some make, have the children some have, or the house we want, but have we praised God with such as we already have? It’s a probing question. One I don’t take lightly myself.

My encouragement to you is take inventory of the many creative ways God has made you, can use you and does indeed use you today. No man knows the day or the hour when God will come for us. Let us be found worthy when God calls us! Have a blessed day.

Caarne White