Trust

Day 27: Numbers 11–15; Psalms 115–120; John 7–9

The Israelites near the southern border of the Promised Land, Canaan.  Moses sends out 12 spies, one from each tribe.  They search out the land for 40 days and come back with some of the land's produce, a huge cluster of grapes carried by two of the men on a pole between them.  But most of the spies were afraid.  They reported that indeed the land is good and fruitful, but it is a land that devours its inhabitants.  There are giants in the land and we felt like puny grasshoppers beside them.  They could easy crush us.  We cannot take possession of this land (Num 13:31-33).

All Israel was terrified and wished they had stayed in Egypt or died in the wilderness rather than face giants and die by the sword.  They even planned among themselves to pick a new leader, rejecting Moses, to lead them back to slavery in Egypt!

Only Caleb and Joshua trusted in the Lord.  They urged the people to trust.  "The Lord is with us! Don't be afraid of the people of the land.  Their protection is gone. The Lord is with us!" (Num 14:8-9)

The people were not moved by Caleb and Joshua, but instead they wanted to kill them.  Their fear consumed them.  As a result God told them they would all die in the wilderness, just as they wished.  The next generation would inherit the land, but this rebellious and stiff-necked people.

They complained because they tired of bread from heaven and crazed other food.  God gave them meat enough for it to run out their nose! Even Aaron the High Priest and Miriam, brother ans sister to Moses, grumbled against Moses and rebelled against Him as the sole leader of Israel.  And one man broke Sabbath by gathering wood.  This rebellion and disobedience was met with fire, plague and death. 

The wages of sin are death, but the free gift of God through Jesus Christ is eternal life (Rom. 6:23).  Jesus continued His ministry in Galilee and Judea.  His attendance at the Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) became another time of conflict with the Judeans, Pharisees and teachers.  Jesus caused controversy among them.  Just as the Israelites cowered in fear over giants and were divided over taking hold of the promised land, the people feared the Judeans and even though they may believe in Jesus were afraid to say so.  Some believed, but some wanted to kill Jesus.

Jesus stood at the festival and told them, "The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him (Jn. 7:38)."

Trust in Jesus that He is the Son of God and has the authority to set us free from the judgement against us for sins, gives us life!  Jesus said is the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!" (Jn. 8:36)

Some who were blind began to see, but many would not listen, could not understand no matter how many times they were told about Jesus (Jn. 9:26-28).  We see what our eyes are conditioned to see and we trust what our hearts have learned to trust.   And when we cease being open to new information because we are feeling secure in our knowledge, we run the risk of becoming completely blind to truths we have not yet discovered.  Jesus came to give sight to the blind, but to blind those who say they can see (Jn. 9:39).

May my prayer be, "Lord, I believe!"  Amen.