Deuteronomy 1 -- Had They Only LISTENED!

God is retelling the story, through Moses, of the 11-day trip from Mt. Sinai, where the Law was given, to the Promised Land.  Only the audience was different.  Besides Moses, Joshua, and Caleb, all of the original cast had died.  God wanted to remind the children of those who’d left Egypt of what their parents had done wrong – not following God’s commands to take the land.  Now it was their turn to obey.

I thought of how vastly different those first books of the Bible would have been had they obeyed the first time.  Instead of sending in spies to the Promised Land, as the people requested, Moses would have simply walked in to the Promised Land with all the people in tow.  They would have quickly defeated all of their enemies and established themselves in the land, rather than spending 40 years in the desert eating manna.  What our fears DO to us!  What they should have feared more is God.  And He’s the One they should have trusted instead of their fear.

Father, help me to be assured when You speak to me.  Remind me that the consequences of disobedience will always far exceed the minor inconveniences that might crop up by following You.  As You reminded them, remind me often.

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford