“See, the Lord your God has set the land before you. Go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has told you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’” – Deuteronomy 1:21
Oh, but they did. They feared. They became completely dismayed. And it cost them terribly. What Moses said was 100% true – the Promised Land was waiting for them. God desired them to go and take possession. He was ready to make it happen. But they refused to go. The people looked at the land through human eyes rather than trusting God’s word. They assessed the difficulty of the task based on their human strength rather than trusting in God’s power. So, they refused to receive the blessing God had prepared for them.
Rather than simply move forward in faith, the people sent scouts. The scouts returned, describing the goodness of the land God was sending them into. But…. They’d seen fortified cities. They’d seen giants. They’d seen powerful armies they couldn’t possibly defeat. They saw what their fearful, inexperienced human eyes could see. An impossible task. An insurmountable enemy. A future of suffering and death. And they were dismayed.
They refused to trust God’s promises. His power, which they’d personally seen in Egypt, couldn’t possibly be enough in their minds. They assessed themselves too weak for the work, so they refused to move forward. They disobeyed God. Fear was strong than faith and entire generation missed out on blessing because of it. Their dismay and disobedience forced that entire generation of adults to live and die in the desert rather than move into God’s promise and blessing. God’s will was ultimately accomplished and God’s people were blessed, but it was the next generation. They entered without fear and dismay, trusting in God’s word and power.
Have you ever encountered something similar? Have you ever missed out on God’s blessing because you were too afraid to do what He called you to do? Have you evaluated situations based only on your abilities and resources, rejecting God’s invitation to something greater? Have you let fear get the better of your faith? If you have, remember that there is grace to forgive anything when you repent and ask God for it. Whether you have, or haven’t, resolve to never let it happen in the future. Live boldly in faith, even if you’re naturally timid. Trust in God completely, even if you doubt yourself terribly. If God is calling you to something, please don’t let fear stop you from enjoying the blessings of obedience. He will never leave you or forsake you. Trust and obey God, even when you’re afraid. #FollowJesus