eleven days…and counting
So, how’d the Israelites get from 11 days to 14,600 days? Great question and one that probably can’t be answered completely in a paragraph, but simply put the Israelites didn’t trust God. They lacked faith. (It is amazing how little things have changed in a few thousand years.) Even though these same people had seen God part the Red Sea through the hand of Moses (Ex. 14), provide water from a rock (Ex. 17) and manna from heaven (Ex. 16), they still doubted that God would or could do what He said He would do. God promised an amazing piece of the world and told them it was His gift to them: “I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it’s the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors and all of their decedents.” (Deut. 1:8) Doesn’t get much simpler than that. But, of course, to occupy the land they would have to trust that God would once again deliver on His promise.
As we read the story we see that they got to the edge of the land in exactly the time they should of….then…..they stopped. They doubted. And, that generation never entered the promise. They made it to the promise but never embraced it because they thought it would cost them too much and they doubted God would deliver. They stood right there at the precipice of the promise and STOPPED! Is the promise of God in your sight? Why have you stopped?
Maybe I don’t really like the promise land, Peace, joy and prosperity. Duet 1: 8, See, I have given you this land .Go and take possession of the land, Take possession! You mean I have to do something? Maybe I like the manna from heaven, I just want to whine about it, Luke 10:2 the harvest is great but the labors are few, Labors! I want to be boss. My selfishness, fear and pride are what have stopped me.
Selfishness
I want what I want when I want it, = Debt
Fear
You couldn’t possibly want me to do that
Pride
I want to look good and I don’t want people to know my faults
Mat 4: 17 for the kingdom of heaven is at hand or is here. Jesus called us to selfless servant hood Mark 8:34 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. And then he said in John 15: 15 I know longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his masters business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything I have learned from my Father I have made known to you.
Maybe my promise land is right where I’m at.
I’ve tried to be a servant; selfish, fearful and prideful servant, Jesus doesn’t need that.
Jesus just wants someone with a selfless, fearless, pride less servant’s heart, a friend who says, I’ll do that, I’ll go there, here am I, send me.
Help me to be that friend
Brent – Selfishness, fear and pride…those are 3 biggies. Jesus died so that those things don’t rule our lives but so often we let them. God is so patient in that He continues to work on us and He wants so much for us to experience the life of a selfless, fearless and prideless servant. Only through the Spirit of God is this possible. Lots of help from our fellow Followers doesn’t hurt either.
During the time that you were challenging us with this, I was watching Joyce Meyers, and she said it was a matter of Responsibilty-the Israelites would not accept that it was their choices and their grumbling, and thanklessness that kept them in the desert for so long. It is something I come back to when I have an unresolved situation in my life-a pattern that I’m noticing that He has put before me, or when it seems-so-too much-or I see what path I could have taken…It’s a journey… I’m just blessed to know I don’t have to walk it alone.
Kate – great insight and thank you for comment. I think it is so valuable to evaluate our “spiritual progress” so we can make sure that we are on the 11 day track and not the 40 year track!