Fear or Faith?
There will be times in our lives when we stand at a crossroads. We are faced with a decision: will we step out in faith and do the hard thing that God has told us to do, or will we be ruled by fear and refuse to do what we clearly know is the right thing?
The Israelites were faced with that very choice, recorded in Numbers 13-14. After being freed from slavery in Egypt, they had reached the edge of the Promised Land (called this because it had been promised to them by God). Twelve spies were sent to scout out the land. Ten of the spies returned with a fearful report, telling how great the land was but that the people were strong and the cities fortified. They even reported that there were giants living in the land, and that they seemed like “grasshoppers” compared to them.
Joshua and Caleb were the only two spies that tried to encourage the people to go in and take the land. They told the people, “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us into this land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and give it to us. Only don’t rebel against the LORD and don’t be afraid of the people of the land, who we will devour. Their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us. Don’t be afraid of them!” (Numbers 14:8-9 CSB). But the people refused to listen to them and actually threatened to stone them. They would not obey God and refused to enter the Promised Land. They acted in fear instead of stepping out in faith. God had already promised to give them the land. All they had to do was go in and take it, but they let fear consume them. As a result they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. Because of their disobedience, that generation missed out on God’s blessing and never got to enter the Promised Land. The principle is clear: When we allow fear to rule over us instead of faith, we will miss out on God’s blessings. When we step out in faith and obey God, we will be blessed.
At a recent conference I attended, one of the presenters encouraged us to be willing to do the hard things. Sometimes obeying God involves doing hard things. But because we know the hard thing God is asking us to do is the right thing, we must obey God and trust Him with the results.
Blessings to you all!
Pastor Randy Brown
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