August 18, 2012
Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land."If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. "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." Numbers 14: 6-9
'None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob; for they did not follow Me fully, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun, for they have followed the LORD fully.' Numbers 32:11, 12
Moses sent out 12 spies to explore the Land of Canaan. They were to find out if the people were strong or weak, and if the land was good or bad. Of the 12 men, only 2 of them returned with an encouraging report. Ten men agreed the land was rich; however, their focus was on the people and how strong they looked. They concluded it would be impossible for the Israelites to defeat them. The other 2 men believed God and His promises. Joshua and Caleb's opinion was clear; "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." They believed with God's help they would be a victorious people in capturing the land. They encouraged the people to trust God.
After reading this the question I ask myself is how do I become a person who follows the Lord fully? The simple answer is to listen and obey Him. One of God's main complaints throughout the Old Testament was that His chosen people wouldn't listen and obey. To help you become a follower of the Lord fully, here are some questions you might ask yourself: Am I spending time in God's Word consistently? Do I understand what I am reading? When was the last time I was convicted and changed by reading God's Word? Do I really believe His Word when I read it? I like what one commentary said: If our relationship with the Lord is consistent, and we are listening and confirming His Word in our life by prayer and the Holy Spirit, then our trust in the Lord will be shown by obedience.
Father, I pray You would cause me to have a heart's desire to follow You fully.
Dave
Heb 4:16
