If you've been reading my blog, you know my son has been in the hospital. I've been away from the comforts of home for the better part of two weeks. I've been sleeping on a couch in my son's hospital room. I haven't left the hospital but a couple times. I long for real food. I'm complaining. I'm whining. I'm reminded of the Israelites and what they must have felt like. My discomfort has only been 2 weeks, they had a much longer trek. A trek that should have only taken 11 days and instead took 40 years. Let's take a peek into our ancient ancestor's world and how that played out for them. In Deuteronomy 1:6-7 God tells them, "You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on." You see, they settled for longer than they should have at Kadesh. In my life, there have been so many times I have camped out at circumstance. I mean I've gone to Bass Pro and got the deluxe tent I planned on staying so long! Yet the Lord has had other plans but I've been too stubborn to break camp. And yet, The Lord says it's time to take our land, the territory He has given us. He has great plans for us, His word tells us that, but we refuse to move on and take it. We never receive the blessing, the inheritance He has waiting for us. Looking back there were so many reasons for their disobedience. They were impatient, they whined, they didn't believe. Have you ever felt like that? Your situation seems insurmountable, you feel defeated and discouraged. God says, I got it. But do we believe? Biblically speaking and from my own hard hearted experience, I can tell you if you have faith you tend to be more obedient where lack of faith will lead to all kinds of disobedience. So in the Israelites case, they realized this. They confess to the Lord but then they get so prideful about the blessing they forget they still needed Him. They run into battle without checking with the Lord. So the Lord says no, don't go. I'm not with you. If you go ahead on your own you will be crushed by your enemies. Key words--on your own. Huge lesson. Even though they did the right thing and confessed. They missed the whole point of seeking God's will for them. They were arrogant and ornery- remember the mustang spirit. The thing that stirred me is where they remained for most of their 40 years. After they were a little puffed up and tried to take the land that was promised them, they moved on their own, and they were battered. So they returned and wept to the Lord but He refused to listen. So they stayed there for a long time. Their faith was shaken. They were shaken. Now we know that Jesus created a new covenant for us. We know we are forgiven and loved. But, I wonder if we get stuck in a certain place in our lives because we come and weep, maybe even confess and yet we feel like the Lord isn't listening. So, we give up. We go buy our deluxe tent. Maybe we even build our golden calf. We find our Kadesh and sit there for years. I wonder if there's places in our lives where Jesus is trying to lead us to freedom, to our promised land? He's been nudging us for sometime, maybe even years. Is it time for us to break camp and move on?
"So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic
before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will
neither fail you nor abandon you."
Deuteronomy 31:6
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