At Mount Sinai, God spoke and said, “You have stayed at this mountain long enough. It is time to break camp and move on.”
Go and occupy!
Don’t be afraid!
Don’t be discouraged!
After reaching the promise land, the “Israelites rebelled against the command of the Lord and refused to go in” (vs. 26) . . . because of a fearful report!
Moses cheered them on . . . You can do it! Don’t be afraid! God is going before you and will fight for you! Remember how He fought for you in Egypt! Remember how God has taken care of you in the wilderness!
Even so, they refused to trust the Lord and became 40 years behind schedule!
Where do you need to break camp and move on?
In bible study and prayer?
In believing God for that miracle?
In compassion for the lost and backsliders and one another?
In serving within the body of Christ?
In mentoring new believers?
Have we simply given up, our lives slowly meandering by like a lazy river?
Are we content to be out of Egypt (our old life) but not willing to “go in and occupy” our new, spirit-filled life?
Ken and I drove home from Anchorage, Alaska, to Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1969 -- about 5,000 miles. Our overnight lodging was a tent. Each evening we would set up the tent, pump up the air mattresses, unroll the sleeping bags, set up our camp stove, get out the dishes . . . and each morning . . . we “tore down” and loaded it all back in the car only to repeat again at the next camp site the next night. Not a small task!
We camped at some very beautiful places . . . tall pines, crisp morning air, the smell of coffee brewing on the camp stove (thanks to my wonderful husband!). It would have been very easy to put the tent stakes down, stay put, and live off the land. What kept us breaking camp each morning? We were going home!
God must speak to you, to me . . . not man . . . about moving on in His divine schedule for your life! Pray and ask Him what you need to move out of the way in order to pursue His presence and His plan and purpose for your life . . . and then be obedient.
I’ve been at this mountain long enough, have you?
Every morning, break camp and move on with God!
3 comments:
Good word, Arlene. I hear joy in your words.
I think it's important to pack up and move camp, otherwise we may miss God's promise for our lives. The Israelites complained (1:27), questioned and doubted God (1:28,32), and disobeyed God, (1:42) and where did that leave them? In the desert. I don't want to miss out on God's promises for my life because I complain, doubt, mistrust or disobey God. It's definitely time to break camp and move on and find what He has in store for us!
That is SO good! That really spoke to me, convicted me =) The whole thing about being content to just be out of Egypt but not going in and occupying all that God has for us in our new life ... that was such a poignant reminder to me that God expects more from me than just accepting salvation! There's that blooming, fruitless fig tree again!
These Deuteronomy chapters are packed full already of such good examples to leaders and all God's people. The summary Moses makes here brought some new things to light in my mind, the impact of the Israelite's decisions ...
- Choosing to send the 12 spies into the land that God had ALREADY given them and told them to possess. All that did was annihilate the peoples' faith, toss their promised inheritance over their heads into the hands of the next generation and add on another 40 years of walking the very same wilderness trails. I don't want that for my life! I want to take God at His "plain word" to me (Message, Deut. 1:43)
- And THEN, to try and rectify their disobedience, the Israelites try to take the land even though God -- and this time, Moses -- said not to do it b/c God wasn't with them. What a striking reminder to me that good works -- or obeying too late -- cannot change the consequences set in motion by my sins, won't change God's mind! I can't do anything without Him -- why do i try? Don't want to do that either. =)
Wow. Again today i am amazed and grateful for God's Word and all the saving, life-changing words breathed across Its pages!
I was just looking at these Deut. chapters again and it hit me of the importance to not send spies into the promised land of not only my own life, but also those around me. I want to see other women realize their purpose and possess the promises!
So, if they are looking ahead to occupy the promises of God for their life i don't want to send out spies of unbelieving words or faithless advice --- i want to speak the promises God has made for them via His Word or a prophetic word.
Lord, i don't want to be a spy; i want to be someone who will stand firm on Your Word and Promises.
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