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Fear and Faith

In Numbers 14, God’s people failed colossally. They rebelled against God, refusing to trust Him and enter into the Promised Land. They sent out 12 spies and although Joshua and Caleb dissented, the committee overruled them and told God’s people that their enemies were too strong. As a result of this report the people concluded that a return to Egypt was the only reasonable course of action. Despite Joshua and Caleb’s pleading “the Lord is with us; do not fear them,” the people still chose to fear their enemies and disobey the Lord. As a consequence for their disobedience and rejection of His plan, God sentenced this generation of Israelites to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Even Moses himself forfeited entrance into the Promised Land.

Lack of faith. Disobedience. Failure. Sorrow. Defeat. All those words characterize Israel’s experience in Numbers 14.

Fast-forward 40 years. The faithless generation has now passed off the scene. Moses has passed the mantle of leadership to Joshua. Joshua and Caleb are who remain of the Numbers 14 generation.

Once again, God called His people to go in and possess the land. Once again, spies are sent out into the land. This time, instead of twelve spies, Joshua sends two. The spies return with this evaluation: “Surely the Lord has given all the land into our hands; moreover, all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before us” (Joshua 2:24). Instead of rebelling and reacting in fear as before, God’s people moved forward in faith and crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land.

What made the difference between Numbers 14 and Joshua 2? What made the difference between success and failure? What made the difference between fear and defeat and victory? The Promised Land hadn’t changed. It was filled with the same blessings as in Numbers 14. It was also filled with the same obstacles and the same enemies. The circumstances had not changed. But the perception of God’s people had changed. Instead of responding to the direction of God with fear, the people responded with faith. By faith I don’t mean some kind of generic hopeful feeling. Really faith isn’t a feeling at all. By faith I mean trusting and obeying God (see Joshua 1:8).

There’s a lesson to draw by comparing these two passages. In the Christian life the difference between victory and defeat may come down to a response of faith. Many times, we think our circumstances have to change in order for anything to change in life. We think the obstacles have to be removed before we can move forward. Sometimes the circumstances don’t have to change at all. Sometimes we are what needs to change. If we could learn to obey God and take Him at his word we could experience the victory God has for us. Where are you struggling to trust God? Where are you living by fear instead of faith? Where can you step out in faith and obey God?

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