In today’s world, we can feel pulled in many directions – family, children’s homework, ministry, cooking dinner, discipling times, careers…. We “know” God is there. We “know” he’s faithful. But do we really “know” that?
In this lesson we are going to take a look at what we can learn about God’s faithfulness from the Israelites and their 40 years wandering in the desert on their way to the Promised Land.
Familiarity
Joshua 23:14-16
Throughout the Old Testament we see God – He was visually evident: parting the Red Sea, cloud of His presence, provision of quail and manna, clothes and shoes that never wore out, covering the mountain when he spoke to Moses, water coming from a rock.
However, this constant presence of God bred familiarity. The Israelites no longer stood in awe of God. Instead they grumbled, complained, compared everything to Egypt, looked back, made idols, doubted.
Today, have we become “familiar” with God? Christianity? Discipleship? Coming to church? We know God is there, we pray with our kids before/after meals, have family devotionals, go to church….but do we stand in awe of God? Do we stop and marvel at God? At how he provides for us? Answers our prayers? Do we consciously stop and meditate on why we go to church? Celebrate communion? Do we teach younger Christians, our children, why we go to church and what it means to worship God? Do we help others understand that the ways of the world are not okay or do we say “that’s just the world we live in”, “we’ll just go with the flow”
When we become familiar to the ways of the world we absorb it, we become like it. We must remind ourselves, our children, our fellow disciples about God, about walking with God. The Bible says we must guard our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), fight for our spirituality (I Timothy 6: 11-12). Few people are willing to do this. Sadly, there are people taking a lot more vocal and bold stand for gay marriage or materialism than for God.
Joshua and Caleb are two examples of men who didn’t let the world around them stop them from walking with God, from standing in awe of God and as such experienced God’s faithfulness and entered the Promised Land.
Joshua knew both sides. He lived in the midst of all the Israelites. He lived in the world – but was not of the world. He decided which side he (and his family) would choose: “As for me and my household, we will follow the Lord”.
God’s PresenceJohn 16:7-10
My boys often tell me that “it’s not fair! Why doesn’t God speak to us today like he did in the Old Testament to Moses?” Do you ever think that? How does God speak to us today? What are God’s promises to us today?
Where do we see his actions today?
Throughout time, God showed himself differently. Today God shows us Himself through the Holy Spirit. God has sent us the Counselor in his place.
We all “know” Acts 2:38-39. We’ve read it hundreds if not thousands of time. We “know” that God’s promise to us is the Holy Spirit. We “know” this is the same God of Moses, Joseph, Abraham.
However, when there are struggles, sorrows…do I believe that God this presence of God is strong enough to help me through? Are we like the Israelites who complain, compare, think the past was better, doubt? Or will we be like Joshua and his family and keep our eyes on God, on His Promised Land?
The Promised Land
2 Corinthians 6:16-18, 7:1
God promised the Israelites that he wanted to be their God, to “live with them and walk among them”. However this would require that they separate themselves from the world. They had to live a life focused on God, on pleasing God.
This promise is for us today as well. However, as with the Israelites, for God to live with us and walk among us, we too must “come out from them and be separate”.
What can contaminate our spirit, our walk with God? Unfulfilled dreams. Unanswered prayers or prayers that are answered differently than we’d like. Allowing the world to influence us more than the Spirit. Misplaced priorities.
What is contaminating you today? How would you answer this statement: I want the Promised Land more than anything else; more than ___________ or ___________ or ___________.
Let us be faithful. Let us claim God’s promises. Let us purify ourselves from contamination, from doubt, from complaining, from questioning God, from the influence of the world.
We can tend to look at the Israelites and their 40 years in the desert and think “what was their problem? They had all these miracles performed in front of their very own eyes and still weren’t happy.” How could they not hold on for 40 years and enter the Promised Land?
Let’s not be too quick to judge. Titus 1:2-3 promises us eternal life. Yet today, like the Israelites, we too can wonder “are we there yet”, “will I make it”, “I am tired”, “how much longer”. We too question God when someone dies unexpectedly, we complain when we lose a job, we look back to our pre-disciple days and wonder if we really had to give up our boyfriend in order to follow God. Like the Israelites we doubt. Fears and worries go through our minds.
As For Me and My FamilyOur lives today are a replay of the Old Testament, where the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Same story. Same principals. But will the outcome be the same? In 40 years, will I enter eternity?
When you have fears, doubts or worries – what do you do? Dwell on them? Internalize them? Complain? Rather, let’s talk about them; be open. Relationships in the church aren’t just for confessing sin – it’s as important to talk about our fears and doubts.
God is faithful. He wants to take us to heaven. In 2 Peter 1:3-4, notice all the times God is mentioned in this passage – His power, Knowledge of Him, His glory and goodness, His great promises. All of this is ours for the taking. We cannot not make it to heaven when we hold on to God.
Am I weak? Yes.
But can I overcome? Yes.
Will I fall? Yes.
But can I get up? Yes!
God wants us to participate in his nature, long for him, want him, desire to walk with Him.
Today our journey is no different than the one the Israelites took in the Old Testament – getting up everyday hoping to be one step closer to the Promised Land.
Joshua and Caleb stood firm. As old men they entered the Promised Land because they were faithful. They believed in, saw, focused on the Promised Land.
Let us stand firm today. Let us help our families, our Family Groups and Bible Talks, our sisters and brothers stand firm and stand in awe of God. Let us, together, enter the Promised Land.
