Yesterday one of our pastors preached an excellent message out of Exodus, about the people of Israel not wanting to go up the mountain of the Lord, because they wanted a God they could control. Yesterday morning I was reflecting on a similar bit from Numbers 13-14, where the Israelites didn't want to enter the Promised Land because of people who lived there.
The story of the Promised Land is long and interwoven through their history, starting with God's promise to Abraham, then again to Jacob, down through Joseph and Finally through Moses. God made it clear that the Promised Land was occupied all along, but apparently they never through what that meant. Here is one of the times God refers to the Land, speaking to Moses, telling him what to say to the Israelites who were suffering under oppression and slavery in Egypt - Exodus 3:17 NIV: "And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites---a land flowing with milk and honey.'
When they finally get freed out of Egypt, they follow Moses leading and through God's miraculous intervention they find themselves camped not far from the Promised Land, and Moses sends out 12 men to spy out the land, asking them to bring back a report. After 40 days of spying they came back reported what they found - Numbers 13:26-29 NIV:
[26] "They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. [27] They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. [28] But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. [29] The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan. ”
Everything was as God had promised, except He hadn't mentioned the size of the people who occupied the land. The reaction of the people was utter rebellion as described in the next chapter - Numbers 14:1-4 NIV: "That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. [2] All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! [3] Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn't it be better for us to go back to Egypt? ” [4] And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt. ”
Sadly, because of their heart attitude, no one of that whole group who were older than 20 years old, except for Joshua and Caleb, were going to enter the land, because of their fear and judging God incapable of helping them. They didn't expect to have to fight for the Promised Land, flowing with milk and honey, and immediately looked at their own selves, rather than at all that God had just showed them in delivering them from Egypt. They were afraid of the giants in the land, or believing more in their inability as warriors, than in God's power and promise. What a sad thing, to be right there ready to enter in and then backing away due to fear!
As I was reading these verses I felt like the Lord said, in much the same way we are today pursuing revival, a sort of "Promised Land" flowing with fruit of the Spirit and the blessings of signs and wonders, healings and miracles. As I was thinking about the parallels, I felt like the Lord asked if we are willing to fight for our promise?
The question that popped into my minds, was what, if anything are we afraid of in pursuing Revival, for it seems a simple thing to pray to experience. However, as I reflected on it further, I realized that we have our own "Giants". While certainly not people groups or tribes, we have things we must push past to enter the promise, for while the promise is in front of us. Sometimes God's promises require work on our part to experience the fullness of them. So what are our "giants"?
I think my list is something like this:
1) Fear of Man
2) Fear of seeming like a fool
3) Unbelief (greater belief in my own inability than in God's ability)
4) Fear of giving up my time and independence
I guess my list isn't that different from the Israelites back then. The real question is whether I am willing to press into God, believing in His word, and then laying down my fears and unbelief? I don't want to miss the opportunity to experience all God has for me, but that will require effort on my part. I will need to push out of my comfort zone, into God's ways, into unknown and uncomfortable situations. I need to be willing to die to my own pride (#1 and #2 on my list) to believe in the face of daunting circumstances, and be willing to lose "my" time for the Lord!
Many of the revivals that I have read about were born through the fruit of seasons of intercession, long times of prayer by certain people, called by God to lay down their lives in prayer. Am I willing to be such a one?
Many revivals became all consuming fires of passion for God, and people's lives were radically changed. Am I willing to allow my life to be wholly changed?
Many of the revivals had prayer meetings every night, for several hours, some even had meetings 24 hours a day, am I willing to give up my evenings and weekends, "my" plans for "my" time?
Many of the revivals experienced resistance from the "religious" people, from those in seats of honor and authority within the churches. Am I will to press forward into God, in spite of the opinions of others that I respect and trust?
Many of the revivals resulted in thousands of new converts who needed discipling, am I willing to give of my free time, step outside my group of fiends to engage and spend hours and hours with new brothers and sisters in Christ?
Many of the Revivals introduced new expressions and experiences of the Holy Spirit, am I willing to embrace a different or new way of experiencing God's touch and movement in our midst?
In summary, the Lord's promise isn't always delivered on a silver platter that requires no effort on our behalf. He has chosen to invite us to partner with Him in seeing the Kingdom of God expanded here on earth, and that partnership requires effort. This is not some sort of "works" invitation, but is rather a faith invitation! Do we believe that God's promises are true, and worth fighting through our stuff to experience? Are we willing to lay down our fear and concern and step into the move of the Holy Spirit? Are we willing to obey God in all ways, even to laying down "our" ways and "our" things and pressing into Him?
Oh Lord, help us! We want to experience all that You have for us! We want to know You! We want to see You Glorified in our lives!
Amen and Amen!
No comments:
Post a Comment