Numbers 14 & Psalms 95

Numbers 14 & Psalms 95

The Lord has led Israel to the doorstep of the Promised Land.  God has been faithful in leading Israel through many hardships and has forgiven them countless times for their disbelief and outright rebellions.  Finally they are about to be led into the land flowing with milk and honey. 

Moses had sent in twelve spies to survey the land that they are about to enter, and in Chapter 14, the spies had returned and given a bad report of what lays ahead for them.  For the people that inhabited the land were giants compared to the Israelites. 

Up until now, God has defeated entire armies, pulled back an entire sea for them to walk across, supplied food from heaven for them to eat every day, and had even killed thousands of their own people because of disbelief and rebellion, and now they were afraid of what laid ahead. 

They were so afraid that they decided that it would be better to go back to Egypt and be slaves again. 

Reading this chapter I became frustrated with Israel.  I found myself saying, “Geez, don’t you get it by now?  It is not that hard to trust God, especially after everything you guys have been through.” 

I must admit that God has done some incredible things in my life, though nothing as great as parting the Red Sea.  Even so, there are times I still find myself doubting that God will have my back.  

There have been plenty of times that I have wished I could go back to the way things were, instead of looking ahead to the way things will be.  By now I should know that God always has a superior plan than I do, and that He will always work things together for His glory.  But, I do not always act that way.  There are a lot of times I am like Israel. 

Because of Israel’s hearts, God would not allow Israel to enter into the Promised Land until that generation of people died off, which took 40 years of wandering in the desert.  

Don’t be like Israel, wondering if only you had listened to God and done what He wanted me to in that moment.  Be ready to serve the Lord without hesitation, and to give praise to Him who has brought us out of the darkness and into the light.  Do not grumble and long for the days of the past, but be fervently anticipating the days ahead, for God will do great things with you and through you.