DEVELOPING TRUST
Kingdom Kids devotions authorize Jesus’ LORDship over our lives.
Psalms 50:15: “and call on Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor Me.”
“Obey what I command you today. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.” The Father clearly had the Israelites’ back! God still promises feats like this—found in Exodus 34:11—with us today.
The Father ordered spies to enter the land and report back to gain His people’s trust. The spies reported that Canaan was indeed a land flowing with milk and honey. … Numbers 13:33 adds, “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Yikes!
The Father prevented the Israelites from entering their Promised Land of Canaan because He wanted to teach trust in Him. So instead of claiming the land that He swore to give to—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the Israelites didn’t trust Him. So He led them in circles forty years. (Numbers 14:20-35). That generation died wandering in the desert.
Did the people even recognize the obstacles God put in their way to gain their trust?
Finding water in a desert?
Even Moses got impatient leading these obnoxious people and disobeyed God.
God told Moses in Numbers 20:8a, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to the rock before their eyes and it will pour out the water.” (Emphasis mine).
Numbers 20:10b-11 says what Moses did, “Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’
“Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out and the community and their livestock drank.” (Emphasis mine).
Our heavenly Father is way higher and way more superior to our earthly dads. Often, they share similar demands on their kids. Obedience. Honesty. Trust. Our earthly dads and our heavenly Papa both discipline their kids.
Numbers 20:12 tells how God disciplined Moses, “Because you did not trust Me enough to honor Me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Take Home Nugget
So, while God forbade Moses to enter the land, He did allow Him a peek of it in Deuteronomy 34:4, which is found in the lesson linked below.
God had a handle on the scary things that freaked out the Israelites. He was prepared to show them His awesome hand, yet the people did not trust Him!
Can you trust Papa so He can show you His mighty hand?
Holy Father, Enable me to trust You with all my heart. Amen.
Adapted from “God’s Faithfulness” by Dr. Tony Evans. April 25, 2018. See “Alternative” at www.LightSource.com
J.D. Griffith
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