I've thought about this before but today I feel strongly that I need to share my thoughts.
In Exodus, Moses sent 12 men, including Caleb and Joshua into Canaan to scout out the land they were to claim as their own. All 12 men went into Canaan and all 12 came back out again.
When they were giving the report of what they'd seen, 10 of the men struck fear in the hearts of the Israelites by describing the obstacles they'd seen. "It's a land of giants!" they said. "They have strongholds we could never conquer."
The account of the exploration of the land states that they found the land so fruitful that one bunch of grapes could only be carried out on a large branch that was born on the shoulders of two of the men. They also brought back figs and pomegranates as evidence of the riches awaiting them.
Yet the fear the ten men created was so great that the Israelites threatened to kill Joshua and Caleb who said the Israelites could claim the land...
Do you know what I've never understood? 12 men went into Canaan and 12 men came out. A dozen men wandering around were bound to have been seen as they scouted out that land. And how inconspicuous do you suppose 12 men bearing a bunch of grapes so big it had to be shouldered between two men could be? Why did the 10 other men not see the favor of God upon them?
As a result of the ten men's fear and the Israelites cries of fear, God was so angered that he said not one of them would enter the promised land and so they spent the next 40 years wandering the desert.
Today a pastor shared in our church that in order for the number of Israelites who were 20 and older who lived at the time of the exploration of Canaan to die, it is estimated that 83 people died daily for the 40 years they wandered. Now that is not accounted in the Bible. As we know there were plagues and disasters which killed the people by the thousands but it does bear thinking about that the average quite possibly works out to 83 people dying per day.
He went on to share the vast amounts of water required to keep millions of people alive in the desert not to mention the tons of Manna required.
No one has said yet how many tents they had to carry, nor how many goods travelled with them in that desert but it had to be considerable. And what about all that firewood that was used? Where did that come from? The Tabernacle and all the equipment used in it came from the offerings of what the people carried out of Egypt! It had to have been vast amounts. At one point, Betzalel, the head artisan who created the metalwork, told Moses to command the people to stop donating jewelry as he had more than he needed to make all the equipment!
In 40 years, their clothes nor shoes wore out. The diseases that plagued them in Egypt were no longer upon them. God's provision was clearly all over the lives of the Israelites, yet they complained. They cried out in fear of the unknown. They longed for the safety and security of the slavery they'd been released from rather than grabbing hold of the freedom they had gained. They failed to see the blessings before them.
Well I'm not slinging any stones at the Israelites. I've been just as guilty as they! I fail often enough to get over my disappointment in the way things might be because it didn't line up with my plans. I whine far too much about what I've lost or what I wish I had instead of seeing the blessing right before my very own eyes. I've been afraid at times to go where I know God has directed me to go. I have been guilty of allowing my fear to rule me and have at times infected others with my anxieties over a situation.
Today, I want to start correcting my attitude. I want to adjust my thinking and see the possibilities of what lies ahead and stop allowing fear to bind me. Twice in Deuteronomy 1:6, and in 2:2, God says "You have stayed (here) long enough..." That's the truth, Lord! That's the truth! It's time for something new in my life...
Is it time for something new in yours as well? Has God shown you the riches of a place you've been afraid to journey into? Are you ready to grab hold of God's blessings for your life? Have you failed to notice the quantity of blessings that your life has held? Let's correct ourselves, turn from our complaining and begin the process of a new journey, one that is stronger in faith.
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My life, faith and trust completely changed the night my husband had his heart attack. Over the next few days as stories came together of how God sent my husband on that errand that night instead of me and how he sent the people that found him laying in that parking lot as well as a couple who led me to the hospital that I would not have been able to locate on my own. How He allowed my husband to wake up from the coma that every doctor told me he would never wake from. I am no longer sure that I would change a thing because He taught me to trust Him in a way that I never had before and would not now without that experience. I learned to rest in His care every day and in every situation and I am often excited to see how He will work out a problem for us. Our retirement saving years were cut short by 7 years. Those were the years when we could have saved the most but we have watched again and again as He provides for us in ways that we can not explain. Our part for the hospital were $8500. We transferred that from our savings and set up a ledger. We paid all the bills and transferred $8000 back to savings. I can not explain it. There have also been times when our savings amount has just jumped up by several thousand dollars and I cannot explain that either. Last year our church moved into a permanent facility and our pastor told us to pray about what to give and give that exact amount. So we prayed and He told us how much. We gulped a little bit and wrote that check. The next week we had a windfall of 150% of what we had given. When we got the estimate for $15K in work to our air conditioning system this week I looked at my Husband and told him that I am excited to see how God gives us the funds for that! But, it is not only finances. We have long wanted to downsize house but God has told us no. We have work to do in this neighborhood. So would I choose to go against His will for my comfort and not do the work that He has for us? Is my comfort more important than the salvation of our neighbors? Absolutely not! And do you know what? The result is being content. I lack for nothing! Abiding in Him is peace! I wish this peace and contentment for you all because He is trustworthy and He will never fail you.
This post and Lana's comments sure packed a wallop as my Dad would have said. Very powerful thoughts. Amazing testimonies. To God go the glory. Lana I hope you have these type of thoughts and testimony in writing for your family and other people to read now and later. Teri you have this blog and other writing. We have so many things happen to us in life that others may never know and marvel and learn from unless we write them down and testify out loud about. These days more than ever we need to be bold and pass along any it and witness when we can to a starving world.
I know I tend to stay quiet and not ruffle feathers but am trying to be bolder myself. How will anyone know I do not agree with things unless I speak? Or know of God if I don't speak of him more often ? If I can do so and make someone think it is better than saying nothing. I am not a leader type or a speaker so God is of course really the one who has to put the right words in love in my mouth. I am a work in progress but must speak up when I should. Times are rough and I don't want to realize later I had a part to play and didn't. Thank you Teri for letting me see the scriptures again from a clearer angle than I had. Sarah
Sarah, A year ago God gave us a couple down the street as our new friends. They are two doors down and we have both lived here for 26 years and never really known each other. Now we are all retired and so we started seeing them out walking and started talking here and there. We know these people are not believers. He has also had a heart event and is absolutely terrified of dying. This pandemic has also shown how afraid they are. But, we met them for a breakfast a few times and Hubby talks to him on a fairly regular basis. This has given us opportunities to share stories and our lifestyle. Meanwhile two other families here whom we influenced for Christ and salvation came forward and gave is their testimony about how we influenced them just by our lives. We had no idea that the young, just married couple two doors down 26 years ago saw us and wanted what we had because they saw we were different. So we know that a life lived for Christ and just telling our stories is a powerful influence. We used to think we had to be Corrie Ten Boom with a big evangelistic speech but now we know that for those we see on a regular basis it is just the daily living of life as a believer and that made it so much easier. It is sharing what we have with those in need, lending tools and help to a neighbor or just telling them you will pray for them when life is hard. Everyone seems to appreciate prayer whether they are believers or not. I hope this helps and takes the pressure off!
The symbolism is amazing...the Israelites did not obey God, and so were not allowed into the promised land. Seems to be a pretty strong analogy for salvation.
Actually, I want to change the above comment. It's not that they just didn't OBEY God, but they didn't have FAITH in him. And because of that, the were sentenced to die outside of the promised land. If they had faith, they would have obeyed. Obedience is a fruit of faith.
Terri, this is a beautiful post! I find myself just aghast at the world these past few years, especially. It is so easy to be sucked into the awfulness and negativity. I see that in some of my children too. What concerns me is that I see what I call angry Christians more than loving Christians and my son in Nebraska seems to be influenced by a group of them. (His brain injury makes him more easy to be influenced.). I have tried to encourage him (and me!) to be focused on what we can do to help others and spread Jehovah’s Word. God is love and Jesus showed us how to behave toward others even if we “think” they are wrong or we don’t agree with them. We are to be gentle, kind,, and patient. We are to be an example for nonbelievers what a Christian is. I was a bit stunned when my son told me that there were protestors against police violence where he lived and he walked up to one of them and yelled at them?? They were peacefully protesting, which is a right that we have and I do feel that there are things that should be changed in this country and protesting is sometimes how change comes about. I sent him some Bible verses and gently let him know that he could have been a witness to the protestor instead of what he did. Also, he does not know what that protestor has been through and should not judge them. I feel that we should let people know what we are “for” rather than what we are “against”.
I feel that the world needs God’s love and we are to go out there and show it! I have been really trying to adjust my giving and help those who are hungry here and around the world more. I pray for our healthcare workers in the ICU’s and elsewhere. I pray for those who are ill with this virus. I pray for those who are without food and clean water. I try to think of what I can do everyday to encourage love and kindness and show that to all I meet. I want to see more loving Christians. I am trying to focus on spiritual matters and not be “of this world”.
Terri - Thank you for sharing these thoughts. I have reread this several times and I keep thinking about it. I read once this - what if God took away everything in our lives that we neglected to thank him for. Quite a thought, yes? I feel like I am slowly emerging from a season of intense grief/loss and God has been amazingly patient with me as I have struggled to believe. But I also feel like it is time now to be thankful for the blessings in front of me. Blessings, Shirley
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