Faith versus Rebellion

“If the Lord delights in us, He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” Numbers 14:8-9

God commands and expects us to wait for the land He is giving us, which is exceedingly good!

What are you waiting for? This could be a job, a new car, moving to another state, a long-awaited vacation, the Coronavirus pandemic to disappear. When we are in a season of lack and a season of wanting, it is hard. It is hard to have hope that things will change.

Why? Because we have no evidence of change.

Take Covid-19 for example. I thought, surely by June it will all be cleared up and I can travel to Tennessee and have a normal pageant experience. Nope. Today, mid-July, we still do not have a sign that it will clear up. Personally, I am discouraged. I have more plans and goals in my heart than ever before. Goals I want to run after in August when I have more quiet time when my children are at school. But, I’m not so sure that is going to happen… at least, not the way it was last year.

This too, is one of those waiting times. It feels different from my previous times of waiting because it is affecting everyone in this country. We are no longer waiting in private; we are all waiting together!

We, as a whole, are like the Israelites of the Old Testament. The Israelites waited for FORTY years to enter the Promised Land.

The Promised Land. It was a Promise. God Promised it to them. My kids love the movie Trolls. My five-year-old loves doing a “pinky promise – you CAN’T break!” God never breaks His promises. But He does give us guidance on how to renew our hearts and our spirits so that we can receive His promise fully.

The guidance from Numbers 14 is, “only do not rebel.”

What is rebellion? It is doubting the Lord’s goodness, unfailing love, and protection.

A great example of rebellion is when my 6-month-old would fight during a diaper change. Boy, did he hate being still (and he still does!!) He rebelled because in his little mind, he could not see the good in what I was doing for him. He doubted my goodness. He doubted I was protecting him. He doubted I was loving him.

Let’s remember to trust God’s love for us. We have been given the chance to watch in hope for an abundant future… one that He is bringing us into.

A pinky promise from God.

Photo by Jasmine Carter on Pexels.com

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