Read Numbers 12 -- 13
Highlights In Today's Reading:
A valuable lesson is in today's reading making known the frightening dangers of disbelief so that the Lord is prevented from providing our needs.
The Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel. . . . So they went up, and searched the land. . . . and came unto Hebron (13:1-2,21-22). The spies stood on the very site where Abraham had built an altar unto God (Genesis 13:18), but neither of these thrilling events entered into their report. It was at Hebron that Abraham had pleaded with God not to destroy Sodom (18:23) and later bought the cave of Machpelah and buried Sarah (23:17). And they returned (and reported). . . . the people be strong . . . and the cities are walled, and very great (Numbers 13:25,28). Because of their unbelief, they could only see the high walls and the giants. If they had recognized that God is Almighty, as Joshua and Caleb did, they could have conquered and possessed this promised land.
Dependence upon human reasoning and physical strength instead of committing oneself to the Lord's work reveals a lack of faith in God's ability to fulfill His promises. Caleb . . . said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it (13:30).
A two-fold principle for believers to recognize is that Satan is always present to discourage and seeks to defeat every desire of the believer to trust in the Lord. Spiritual victories are never obtained without the faith of Caleb who said: Let us go up at once. The high walls and the giants were excuses that revealed their lack of faith. Those who trust God have no need to fear the giants and high walls of mixed motives, selfish ambition, or worldliness confronting us. They have learned by faith to rely on Him for the outcome. We can inherit the promised land of divine privileges. These enemies within the heart can fall, as did the walls of Jericho, when we have faith to believe the promises of God.
The believer dare not presume to possess the promises of God by worldly means or schemes, as did Israel when they decided they would enter the promised land (14:44-45), and later they unsuccessfully attempted to take Ai without God's direction (Joshua 7:4).
The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds (II Corinthians 10:4).
2 comments:
Bible Pathway is my favorite daily devotional guide. It keeps me on track as I read through the Bible each year. I have used this method since the mid 1980's. If there is a prism I see the Bible through, it could be through this lens more than other influences. I find areas of disagreement at times, but generally I am of the same basic persuasion....that it is vital for Believers to read and heed the entire Word of God from cover to cover. Abiding in the Word is abiding in the Living Word, Yeshua our Messiah.
This excerpt is from the online edition. The link on my blog is called BP Daily Devotional.
“Courage is something that should mark every one of us in whatever we do,” Huckabee said when asked what lessons he drew from the story of the Alamo. “You don’t engage in your battles because you can anticipate you are going to win them. You engage in your battles because you believe they’re right. And when you believe that what you are doing is the right thing, the outcome is less important than it is that you put in every moment and every ounce of energy into it.
Mike Huckabee is a source of inspiration to me not to give up.
I also think of these lyrics from Carousel.....
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on walk on with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone
You’ll never walk alone.
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