The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.
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When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said, “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land.” (It was the season for the first ripe grapes.) (Numbers 13: 1-3, 17-20)
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In the next two days, we’ll look at a familiar Old Testament story that has your and my names written all over it. I’ve been studying the early parts of the Old Testament lately, and this story has come alive afresh to me. We’ll lay the foundation today on what to do when you believe God has given you an instruction with a promise, and tomorrow we’ll talk about the toughest past – managing your mind about it.
The Israelites were in the wilderness after God had brought them out of Egypt. God had long before given Abraham “the Promised Land,” when He cut covenant with Abraham and made the promise for Abraham’s numerous descendants to inherit the land. He repeated to Moses, “I’m giving this land to the Israelites.” He never told them to go look at the land to decide if they could successfully take it. But that’s what 10 of them did, and when they added that mental “if,” they sabotaged their fulfillment of their assignment along with the riches God had in store for them. Only two heard right, thought right, and spoke right. More about that tomorrow.
So what was God actually meaning when He instructed, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan?” Even though victory was assured because God said so, these people would need to know what they were dealing with as they went in. First, they needed to have the encouragement of seeing that this rich land was worth some courage and some effort. Second, because it wasn’t going to just drop in their laps, they needed to know the facts in order to develop and understand the strategies God would give them along the way. Third, they would need good facts on which to base good decisions. Notice what Moses told them to look for, all aspects of the terrain and the people they’d encounter in their challenging assignment.
The same is true for you and me. God has made so many promises for our provision, our healing, our restoration. However, He usually won’t just lay it on you. He will empower you to find the answers in His Word and in the resources available to you. He expects you to work diligently to prepare for and work toward the goals and dreams He has dropped in your spirit. In order to do that, you have become informed and armed with solid information so that you will be able to listen and understand God’s instructions about moving forward.
This principle is true whether you are struggling to believe God for a chosen goal or one thrust upon you without your permission. Is there a dream stirring in your spirit? Are you reeling from a diagnosis you don’t want? Do you want to start a business? Are you trying to find your way back after a detour?
God has given promises in His Word about all of these. One of the ways He works to fulfill His promises is through your discoveries, and those discoveries come when you actively pursue the avenues for learning that the Lord has made available to you. How amazing these journeys are, when you already know that God will bring good from it all! But sometimes you first have to take action to explore, to learn, to implement the wisdom that’s available. For instance, when you ask God for healing, educate yourself about and implement healthy practices.
God works in partnership with you and me. (He’s the Senior Partner!) Our responsibility as we walk in faith is to do our part to understand and prepare so that when He says it’s time, we’re ready to move!
If you struggle with doubt when you’re trying to walk in faith, you don’t want to miss tomorrow’s message. See you then!
God, I want to learn all that I need to know in order to prepare me to go where You instruct me to do and to do what You want me to do. Teach me Your principles and Your ways, Lord.
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