When Miriam criticized Moses, God smote her with leprosy. Notice three things:

1) not one of us is immune! Miriam was very godly; not only had she saved Moses' life as a child, she also repeated the song of worship to celebrate Israel's crossing of the Red Sea. So we never become so spiritually advanced as to be incapable of a critical attitude.

2) sometimes what we focus on isn't the real issue! Listen: 'Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married' (Numbers 12:1 NAS). But was that the real issue? No, listen: 'And they said, "Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?"' (Numbers 12:2 NAS). Moses' wife was the surface issue; the real issue was Moses' prominence. Their complaint was, 'How come he gets all the attention?' Look out! When there's competitiveness in your attitude or resentment in your heart, there'll be criticism on your lips.

3) doing God's will doesn't guarantee immunity! Listen: 'Moses was very humble, more than any man...on the face of the earth' (Numbers 12:3 NAS). Yet even he couldn't escape the pain of self-appointed critics attacking the work he was doing for God.

Only when Aaron acknowledged, '...we have acted foolishly...we have sinned' (Numbers 12:11 NAS), did God show mercy and heal Miriam of her leprosy. Now we'd rather reclassify criticism as a weakness, but from God's perspective it's a sin, a genuine, bona fide registered sin! And there's only one way to deal with sin - repent and stop practising it.

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. 

The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. "

(Many of the reflections on each page are used with the kind permission of United Christian Broadcastors (UCB) from their FREE daily devotional - The Word for Today. They allow the publication of 52 of their passages per year and I find their messages apt and though-provoking for the times we live in.)

A Circle of Prayer around the world praying for and with each other, for peace and for a world in crisis. Please read more about it and perhaps join us, prayer was never more needed than it is in these times!

Praying all year round for the souls of our deceased relatives and friends, for the souls of those most in need of prayer and for those souls in purgatory who have nobody to pray for them.