This is the verse that I believe that God has been speaking over this season of my life right now. It's simultaneously scary & exciting! It can also be hard.I've really been struggling with the command in verse 18 and it seems to me that I am not the only one with this problem. The Israelites themselves struggled with this as well in Numbers 14:4, when at the discouraging report of the 10 spies said, "We should go back
to Egypt." At first glance we might think that they are crazy for
wanting to go back to slavery in Egypt when God had just delivered them
out of bondage (and they were only days away from the Promised Land),
but how often do we react the same way? Rather than pressing into what God has
promised to us, we decide to stay where we are/go back to what we know
because while it may not be the greatest, most stellar circumstances, (or even if it is great circumstances, which makes the decision not go back even harder) we
know what to expect. It's familiar. It's comfortable. It doesn't
require us to step out in faith. It doesn't require all of us. There is little to no risk involved. As the
band Casting Crowns puts it:
"With eyes wide open to the
differences, the God we want and the God who is, will we trade our
dreams for His or are we caught in the middle?" So, the question that has to be answered is, "Are we going to be brave enough to step out in faith and claim the
promises that God has given us (knowing that there will be struggles and
challenges, but with those challenges comes incredible blessings and
faith-building opportunities) or are we going to continue to dwell in the past?" He is doing a NEW thing!!! Let's rise up and meet it with great expectations!!
Verse 14 has become my mantra lately... Agggghh...Waiting is definitely not my favorite lesson to be learning, that's for sure! I keep reminding myself that the end result will be so worth it, but it's like being disciplined...even when you know it's for your own good, it still doesn't make it any more enjoyable, which is why I am believing in the promises from Psalm 37:2-7 (as well as many others) to get me through this time of waiting and learning patience. :-)
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