Photo Credit: Americaskeswick.org
On Monday, 7th May, as I researched our theme for the month, I came across a powerful teaching, which I promised to share with you. We will be learning about the application of a major ingredient recurring in our text — Joshua 1 — and that ingredient is courage. To take risk you will require courage and not just that, you will need to be “very courageous.” And what’s more, it is a command from God. Our God instructs us to be Bold and very Courageous! Be ye transformed as you read. Amen.
"There is a risk in obeying God"
Numbers 14 is one of the saddest parts of the scriptures because it causes us to realize that we can make some very bad decisions. They sent out spies to check out the land from the wilderness of Zin as far as Rehob, at Lebo-hamath and when they came back 10 out of the 12 spies said they couldn’t conquer the land. You recall when Joshua and Caleb, the 2 spies who believed God, warned the people not to rebel against God. Numbers 14: 9, “ Only do not rebel against the LORD; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”
The whole assembly talked about stoning them because they were terrified by what they saw. They failed to believe God despite the fact that God was miraculously leading them in the wilderness. They had the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night that He had miraculously promised them. This is the generation that saw the parting of the water. The tragedy and irony is that they said our children will perish and who eventually conquered the land? It was their children. They literally spent 38 years killing time. What happens when you kill time? You kill life. They perished one after another until everybody 20 years old and upward perished in the wilderness except for 3 people; Moses, Joshua and Caleb. It would be the Israelites’ children who would be the generation of the conquest.
It’s a tragic thing when we chose to say, ‘God, I don’t believe,’ when He invites us, nudges us, prompts us to move in a direction that’s going to require some risk. It’s the sin of unused potential. I don’t think I can trust You for that. There will finally come a point if you’re not careful where He’ll say, okay have it your way. Then you’ll look back and now you’ve reached a point of no return and the sin of unused potential will be there. The reality then is that by pursuing a pain avoidance strategy, playing our cards close to our chest because we’re afraid to trust God, you actually inflict greater pain upon yourself when you try to avoid the so-called pain of obedience. The irony is that in seeking to avoid what appears to be pain associated with obedience to God you will bring greater pain upon yourself. — Dr. Ken Boa
My Commentary:
Being God’s chosen generation comes with a price. Here we learn a hard truth. It is a thin line between not taking risks and disobedience. Every time you stretch your faith, you go an extra mile. Every time you chose to be a doer of the word, you step out on uncharted waters. These are the day to day choices you get to make as a Christian who is planted in good soil. However, it is one thing to take risks and it is another thing to obey God. You will get to major crossroads in your life where God comes and places a major demand on you. He comes and says, “Would you be made whole? Take up your mat and walk.” He comes and says, “Rise, take your only son Isaac and go to the place I will show you…where you will offer him up as a sacrifice unto me.” He comes and says, “Stay here. Don’t go down to Egypt. Yes, there may be famine in the land but, you will plant and reap a hundred-fold here.” He comes and says, “Go! Possess the land. For I have given you the land!” At such junctions of your life when God comes with a direct instruction, it is not the time to negotiate. It is not the time to “apply wisdom” and be smart by sending spies to check it out if what God says is true. Rather it is the time to OBEY! Simply do as He has commanded. To not obey comes with grave consequences.
Hebrews 3:12 warns us saying, See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. Verse 13 is very interesting, it says, But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. The heart hardened by sin’s deceitfulness is the ‘stony heart.’ It is the heart that receives the word on rocky ground. Matthew 13:20-21, The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
Don’t kid yourself, if you neglect or take for granted the elementary teachings of Christ, you will have no roots, (Hebrews 6:1-3). Do look it up. And when the rubber hits the road, you will soon find yourself off track. The whole mass of the children of Israel didn’t suddenly wake up to disobey God. They never had roots in His word. They never believed His promises. Their hearts where hardened. And destruction would be their plight. And from thence, there was no turning back. They were doomed because of their unbelief!
Hebrews 6:4-6 tells us the consequences of having no roots, it says; It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age and who have fallen away, to be brought back to repentance.
Remember, it is the heart that receives seed on rocky ground that falls away after persecution and trouble arise. Consider this mail an encouragement from a sister to you. A reminder to desire maturity in Christ. To cease from desiring milk and to begin to hunger for meat.
Hebrews 5:13-14, Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.
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