Saturday 26th August
Read Numbers 13:26-30
“They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: ‘We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.’
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’” (NIVUK)
Are you harbouring any stray ‘buts’ in your life? They are pretty dangerous to your spiritual health, deadly even. Most of the spies came back bringing a glowing report of the promised land. It delivered everything that Yahweh said that it would. Sent in as witnesses to testify to the bounty promised they fulfilled that part of the brief perfectly.
But.
But the people are powerful. But the cities impregnable. But there are giants. But the land is full to the brim and there is no room. But. But. But. All sorts of excuses to not obey God and enter the promised land. Excuses based on fear. Excuses all too human.
The ‘buts’ afflict those enticed by the good news of the kingdom too. Consider Jesus’ answer to disciples who were excited by His plans and kingdom, perhaps even in response to the witness of the Twelve disciples that Jesus had just sent out into the land (Luke 9:1-6).
“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ 58 Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’
59 He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But he replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ 60 Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’
61 Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.’ 62 Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.’” (Luke 9:57-62) (NIVUK).
It is incredibly easy to place conditions and boundaries around following and obeying God rather than simply living in the kingdom and telling others all about it. Are there any ‘buts’ in your life? Because God fulfils His promises and is faithful and true.
