August 15, 2012
"The LORD our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, 'You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and set your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites, and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negev and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. See, I have placed the land before you; go in and possess the land which the LORD swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to them and their descendants after them.' Deuteronomy 1:6-8
A journey that should have taken 11 days ended up being 40 years due to the people's unbelief and rebellion. The Israelites have been camped at the base of Mount Horeb for about a year and now God tells the people "You have stayed long enough at this mountain." During their time at Horeb, Moses had led the people and taught them the Law God had given. As one commentary said, "they must have known from watching the previous generation why they were organized the way they were and why they hadn't been able to go into the land of promise." A generation had to die, but now it's time to go and put their faith into action. I am wondering if they were somewhat settled in, and were comfortable with their situation and location at the time God told them to move. Being comfortable with life's circumstances can sometimes actually affect us negatively, particularly in our relationship to the Lord. We have more of a tendency to be satisfied with our efforts as good enough rather than to be best. Reflecting on this passage makes me want to take a look at my own life. Is there any area that I'm too comfortable and not alert to hear God's direction? Am I ever afraid to "move" because I'm afraid God is going to ask me to do something uncomfortable? I know there have been times in our marriage God has asked Diana and me to go, to move. It wasn't necessarily comfortable, but it was some of our richest prayer and study times together! I would ask you to consider; have I stayed long enough? Is it time to put my faith into action? Maybe it's a ministry I should get involved in or a job situation or a sin I need to deal with? Only God can answer that.
Let's pray that God causes us never to be comfortable, but to always be alert and to listen to God's voice.
Dave
Heb 4:16
