I have made it to Deuteronomy in my quest to read through the Bible. I have been here all week, but have not made it beyond the first chapter. Something about it…I just keep reading it over and over. For some reason, I can’t move on just yet.
A couple of things that are standing out to me right now:
- God told the Israelites that they had been in their current location long enough. It was time to move on.
- God delivered them safely to the Promised Land and the Israelites did not trust Him enough to enter and claim it.
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Back at Horeb, God, our God, spoke to us: “You’ve stayed long enough at this mountain. On your way now. Get moving…” — Deuteronomy 1:6
On your way now. Get moving. We need to be told that. I need to be told that. I get so comfortable where I am. It’s not necessarily that I’m in a fabulous place…just a comfy place. I know the scenery. I know the routine. I know the people. But, God doesn’t want me to just be comfortable…and I think this is more of a spiritual move than a physical one. He wants to use me. How? I’m not certain right now. But I am certain that God is telling me to “Be on my way. Get moving.”
Why did God want the Israelites to get moving? Because the time had come…
Look, I am giving all this land to you! Go in and occupy it, for it is the land the Lord swore to give to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to all their descendants.’” –Deuteronomy 1:8
…They had reached the Promised Land and God could not wait to give it to them. The excitement He must have felt. It makes me think of the time Michael went out of town…
He had been gone for a couple of days and he could not wait to get home and see us. He had made a stop at the airport and bought Emily a pretty red cowgirl hat. He was so excited to come home and present this treasure to his little girl. He came through the door…picked Emily up…and placed the hat on her head. Immediately, Emily took it off and threw it in the floor. She was not impressed at all. Michael got upset, put that hat in the closet and it did not see the light of day for a long, long time. It’s hard when you want to give something to someone you love and it is not well received.
“But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in…” –Deuteronomy 1:26
The Israelites were afraid. They did not trust God to help them conquer the current inhabitants of the land they were being given. Though He had brought them through so much already…they still didn’t trust Him.
How it must break God’s heart when we don’t trust Him…when He wants to give great things to us and we refuse to accept out of fear. If only we understood that not trusting, not obeying, costs us so much more. And, for the Israelites, their distrust cost them greatly.
Not one of you from this wicked generation will live to see the good land I swore to give your ancestors, except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see this land because he has followed the Lord completely. –Deuteronomy 1:35-36
They were denied access to the Promised Land. Out of that whole generation, only Caleb and Joshua were permitted to set foot on that land which God had promised. It scares me to think what I have been denied access to because of my distrust and disobedience.
My prayer today is that I, like Caleb, would follow the Lord completely…
