Late to the devo table this morning because kids at home were early out of bed (WAY TOO EARLY). But hey, if they’re done before noon, they can still count as morning devos. Yes? I think so.

This morning a familiar passage from Numbers brings to mind a saying from my distant past; something like “You’ve got to do God’s work God’s way.” And while I believe that, I am so grateful that God’s work is not dependent on us doing it God’s way. Case in point? Water from a rock.

Context . . . The people have started wandering in the wilderness after refusing to enter the promised land — because of unbelief, they’ve concluded that successfully taking the land to be highly improbable (Numbers 13 and 14). And just as they were back in Numbers 14, this morning they’re still grumbling in Numbers 20.

This time, they rise up against Moses and against Aaron and quarrel with them about water — or rather, the lack thereof. And as Moses and Aaron have become accustomed to, in response to the people rising up against them, they find themselves facedown before God. And the glory of God appears. And the goodness of God is again demonstrated.

And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.”

(Numbers 20:7-8 ESV)

Tell the rock to yield its water. That’s God’s direction to Moses. It would again be a powerful display of God’s patience and provision for the people He has claimed as His own through deliverance.

Sounds simple enough. But Moses is frustrated. And so, he improvises, trying to make a point before the people which God didn’t think needed to be made.

Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.

(Numbers 20:10-11 ESV)

Tell the rock, says the LORD. That’s God’s way. Water out of the rock. That’s God’s work. But Moses didn’t do God’s work in God’s way. Instead, Moses decides to sing a well-known song, “I did it my way” — Moses struck the rock. A big deal? Yeah, a big deal. How big? Pretty big (see Numbers 20:12, 22-24).

But here’s what strikes me (pun intended), although Moses didn’t do God’s work in God’s way the water still flowed. In fact, and water came out abundantly.

God purposed to quench the thirst of a grumbling people with water from an unlikely source. He had done it before (Ex. 17:6), he determined to do it again. All Moses had to do was obey His God and speak to the rock. But Moses didn’t. Yet the people still drank freely and fully. Water came out abundantly.

Moses sinned, yet water surged. Moses did not believe and uphold the LORD as holy (Num. 20:12), but the people still drank and had their thirst wholly met. While God had entrusted His work to His servant, God wasn’t dependent on His servant’s submission to doing it God’s way. Moses came up short, but the water came out abundantly.

Thank God that He is faithful even when we are not. Thank God that His work gets done even when we falter in following His ways. Not that we would presume on such unmerited favor, but that we would always rest in it.

And water came out abundantly.

By God’s grace. For God’s glory.