Living large in the land. That's the plan and the promise. But there are obstacles in the way.
"Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the LORD has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them." (Numbers 32:7-9)
God gave the people of Israel the land of promise. Victory was assured; they merely had to go and take possession of it. But doubt and fear detoured faith and victory. They were consigned to forty years of meaningless wandering. Only two men exhibited God-pleasing faith, and they saw the land of promise:
"None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully." (Numbers 32:11-12)
There are important lessons tucked away inside this ancient story. We've been given a land of promise too; it's called the kingdom of God. It's land that can only be possessed by faith and following the LORD fully. We can partially step foot in it now, but we won't live in it fully until THE day. For now, we can wander aimlessly through life, or we can walk meaningfully in faith, with the ultimate reality of the coming age in view. I choose the faith that produces sight. Through faith, I see the new world and its possibilities. And, the reality to come courses backwards to today and infuses it with life and purpose.
Living large in the land. Faith sees what will be, and partially creates that future reality in our existence today. The new earth overshadows a decaying and damaged present one. Immortality through resurrection overarches today's frailty and pain. Faith sees the land, and allows us to live as through we were in it now. May nothing deter you today from the coming reality that is yours through faith.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
"Now why are you discouraging the sons of Israel from crossing over into the land which the LORD has given them? This is what your fathers did when I sent them from Kadesh-barnea to see the land. For when they went up to the valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the sons of Israel so that they did not go into the land which the LORD had given them." (Numbers 32:7-9)
God gave the people of Israel the land of promise. Victory was assured; they merely had to go and take possession of it. But doubt and fear detoured faith and victory. They were consigned to forty years of meaningless wandering. Only two men exhibited God-pleasing faith, and they saw the land of promise:
"None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully." (Numbers 32:11-12)
There are important lessons tucked away inside this ancient story. We've been given a land of promise too; it's called the kingdom of God. It's land that can only be possessed by faith and following the LORD fully. We can partially step foot in it now, but we won't live in it fully until THE day. For now, we can wander aimlessly through life, or we can walk meaningfully in faith, with the ultimate reality of the coming age in view. I choose the faith that produces sight. Through faith, I see the new world and its possibilities. And, the reality to come courses backwards to today and infuses it with life and purpose.
Living large in the land. Faith sees what will be, and partially creates that future reality in our existence today. The new earth overshadows a decaying and damaged present one. Immortality through resurrection overarches today's frailty and pain. Faith sees the land, and allows us to live as through we were in it now. May nothing deter you today from the coming reality that is yours through faith.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
posted by steve @ 9:09 AM
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