Then they despised the pleasant land; they did not believe his promise. They grumbled in their tents and did not obey the Lord.
Psalm 106:2
Imagine living your entire life in slavery, poverty, and oppression, and then, at one moment, you find yourself free. This was the story of the Israelite people. After having spent 430 years as slaves to the Egyptians, they found themselves leaving all the oppression behind them and walking toward the Promised Land.
The description sounded amazing: a land full of promise. After seeing miracle after miracle from God, they found themselves at the precipice of all the beautiful things God had promised them. In fact, the land was described as “exceedingly good” (Numbers 14:7). After years of slavery and then journeying through the desert, they found themselves at the edge of all that was promised to them.
As the 12 chosen Israelites went to scout out the land, they returned with a response that changed everything. Ten of the twelve only saw the difficulties they would have to overcome to get to the promises. They forgot all the miracles the Lord had done for them and instead focused on what they saw with their eyes. Two of the twelve remembered the miracles of God and reminded the Israelites that God had promised them the land and would go before them. All they had to do was advance, and the Lord would defeat the giants before them.
Because the Israelites refused to remember God and relied on their own understanding, they turned away and were never able to go into the Promised Land. In fact, all of them, except the two who came back with the excellent report, died walking around in the desert.
They had sabotaged the wonderful future God had for them. There were four things that kept them from walking into the promises of God. They were:
- Disbelief
- Fear
- Complaining Spirit
- Disobedience
God had amazing blessings and promises prepared for the Israelites. They saw Him perform amazing miracles on their behalf. Yet, the Israelites never saw the fruition of all God had for them because they didn’t believe that God would do what He said He would do.
We must ask ourselves …
- Do I trust God more than I trust myself?
- What are the lies and threats from the enemy that are keeping me from walking into all God has promised for my life?
To reject disbelief, fear, a complaining spirit, and disobedience is to walk trusting in God. The choice is ours, but the consequences are beyond our control. Will our lives be spent in the desert, or will it be spent in the Promised Land?
Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways.
Proverbs 4:25-26
May we continue to live…
Rooted in Him,
