Monday, October 6, 2008

Scripture: Numbers 13:31-33, 14:6-9
13:31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
14:6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 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.”

Observation:
The Israelites had a choice to make: Promise Land or Wilderness.
The majority of the Israelites had what attitude towards the Promise Land?
They did not believe that they could defeat the giants.
They believed that they would be destroyed by the giants living in the Promise Land.
What was Joshua and Caleb’s attitude towards the Promise Land?
They weren’t scared of what they saw—they believed God when he promised them a land flowing with milk and honey.
Joshua and Caleb were ready to take on the giants!
Most of us know how the rest of the story goes…the Israelites chose to wander in the desert for 40 years and miss out on God’s big gift! It would have really stunk to have wandered in a desert for 40 years!
Little water to satisfy your thirst
Scorching hot days and freezing nights
Sand everywhere!

Application:
What does the Promise Land look like for us?
It represents the unique place God created especially for us to experience life in him to the fullest.
Simply put: Living your life with God in the drivers seat and you riding shotgun.
Not a Holiday Inn Express- We only cheat ourselves when we check-in periodically to God’s way and then go our own way the rest of the time (WILDERNESS).
It still has struggles and hardships we have to overcome, but these are the times that God’s power and faithfulness become most obvious!

What does the Wilderness look like?
The Wilderness represents the place we find ourselves when we know what God wants us to do, but we don’t do it.
When we chose to live in the Wilderness, we chose to miss out on God’s promises, partnership, and experiences.
Instead, we have to live with the consequences of choosing to go against God’s will.

Prayer:
Even though it seems obvious to choose the Promise Land instead of the Wilderness, it’s not always that simple! A lot of times we chose the Wilderness (maybe we’re scared or stubborn or we give into the voices telling us we can’t defeat the giants). Trust in God and he will give you the strength and courage to enter the Promise Land and conquer any obstacles.