How quickly we forget God’s goodness
All the Israelites grumbled against Moses & Aaron, & the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert!” Numbers 14:2
Had they actually forgotten their slavery in Egypt? Had they forgotten God’s faithfulness, his provisions, his miracles?
If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk & honey, & will give it to us. 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 had led the Israelites out of slavery, protected them, provided for them, his presence was with them, & he fulfilled his every promise. Yet, when they had to take one last step of faith to enter the promised land, the Israelites refused.
How could they stop trusting God after so much? They were afraid. They saw the giants, the impossible task, & they lost their focus on God.
Do we trust God only up to a point? When the big problems, tough decisions, or scary situations come upon us, do we take over or do we rest in God?
Not one of the men who saw my glory & the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt & in the desert but who disobeyed me & tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on the oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.
Numbers 14:22-23
The result: that generation of Israelites lost out on the promised land. Not only that, but they then lived their last 40 years wandering in the desert.
When we fail to trust God, what blessings are we missing out on & what burdens are we adding to ourselves?
Tomorrow's Bible In a Year Passage: Numbers 16-17
5 comments:
And the LORD said to Moses, "How long will this people despise me? And how long will they not believe in me, in spite of all the signs that I have done among them? - Numbers 14:11
This verse stood out to me causing me to remind myself the importance of remembering what God has done for us.
Numbers 15:39
You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by chasing after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes
May be a good idea for us too, to use a physical symbol of some sort as a reminder of God's goodness and past blessings, and to trust in Him
That part about the tassels on clothing stood out to me too.
Verse 39: "When you see the tassels, you will remember and obey all the commands of the LORD instead of following your own desires and defining yourselves, as you are prone to do."
I guess it was Moses' close relationship with God but I always find it so brazen that Moses often argues with God when God tells Moses what He is going to do.
So true that when we fail to trust God, we're the ones that miss out.
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