Deuteronomy 2:14-15 (ESV)
And the time from our leaving Kadesh-barnea until we crossed the brook Zered was thirty-eight years, until the entire generation, that is, the men of war, had perished from the camp, as the LORD had sworn to them. For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them, to destroy them from the camp, until they had perished.
Have you ever thought you were stuck in one spot and couldn’t move? Have you ever felt like you are on a treadmill, walking and running but going no place? This is the storyline in the above verses. Israel had disobeyed God by failing to believe He could bring them into the promised land, He swore to give them. They freaked out at the size of the people in the land, their fortified cities and failed to step out in faith. They had fear of man and not fear of the Lord, syndrome.
Proverbs 29:25 (ESV)
The fear of man lays a snare,
but whoever trusts in the LORD is safe.
Proverbs 14:26 (ESV)
In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence,
and his children will have a refuge.
Instead of securing the promise land, this over one million people walked around in a small portion of land for almost 40 years. The distance from Kade’s-barnea to the book of Zered is about 50 miles. The territory they actually wandered in is less than the size of West Virginia. Imagine over one million people just wandering around in such a small space for 40 years. Disobedience puts you on a treadmill experience. When King David wrote Psalm 139 he talked about God’s knowledge of us and control over our lives. Note what he wrote here:
Psalms 139:5 (ESV)
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
When God wants us to stay where we are, He will hem us in. When we disobey God and fail to step out in faith, as He told us to do, He will hem us in. If you feel like you are making no progress, it might be because God is hemmed you in. Make sure you are walking in obedience by faith and then you will cross over into His promise land.
No comments:
Post a Comment