"...Only
do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are
our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do
not fear them.” (Numbers 14:9 NKJV)
When I read this bible passage I was floored. This
statement was made by Joshua when he and the eleven chosen men went to spy the
land of Canaan. Despite the giants in the land, the fortress of the city and
the fear inspired report of the other ten men, he and Caleb were confident in
the ability of God to help them. What faith!
As I progressed in my bible study goal this year, my spiritual eyes continued to be opened to awesome revelation of the depth of
love God had for the people of Israel. As I follow their exodus from Egypt, I
still could not comprehend why it was easy for the people to doubt God - He had
promised to give them the land 'flowing with milk and honey', they were on the
verge of possessing the land but fear and unbelief ensnared them.
Who cares
whether there were giants in the land…after all the miracles, signs and wonder
that God wrought for them in the land of Egypt and since their journey
started;
- parting of the Red Sea - 'So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the
hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore’(Exodus
14:30 NKJV),
- meat and bread - “..At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the
morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord
your God” (Exodus 16:12 NKJV),
- water from the rock - "...Behold, I
will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the
rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink” (Exodus 17:6
NKJV),
- victory over the Amalekites in the wilderness of sin - “Write this for a
memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will
utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” (Exodus 17:6, 14
NKJV).
The people saw all these with their eyes (as we say
in my native language- korokoro
eyes), they were not told stories but they were part of the experience, yet
they still doubted the awesome power of the Almighty God.
Joshua, the son of Nun had the right attitude... Do
not fear he said... this people are our bread. They are nothing....they have no
protection.....the LORD is with us.
Having experience God first hand like this, one
would expect all of them to have the same confidence like Joshua and Caleb but no-
'......the whole community began weeping aloud, and they cried all night.’
(Numbers 14:1 NLT).
What can I learn from this? I got insight from God's
response 'And the lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with
contempt? Will they never believe me,
even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them? But as surely as I
live, and as surely as the earth is filled with the LORD’s glory, not one of
these people will ever enter that land. They have all seen my glorious presence
and the miraculous signs I performed both in Egypt and in the wilderness, but
again and again they have tested me by refusing to listen to my voice. They
will never even see the land I swore to give their ancestors. None of those who
have treated me with contempt will
ever see it. But my servant Caleb has a different attitude than the others
have. He has remained loyal to me, so
I will bring him into the land he explored. His descendants will possess their
full share of that land. (Numbers 14:1, 11, 21-24 NLT).
When we refuse to believe the word of God.. we are
holding Him in contempt. Trusting in God is being loyal to Him and this brings His
blessing and manifestation of His promises in our lives.
I pray that my
challenges would not overwhelm me to the extent that I will treat my God with
contempt through lack of trust and unbelief.
How about you? Do you still struggle with trusting
God despite the number of times you have experienced His faithfulness in your
life?
Prayer:
Father, help me to be like Joshua and Caleb when I am faced with challenges
that seems impossible. Let me trust in you and remember your help in ages past.
In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen
Shalom
