Waiting in Faith
Scripture Passage: Deuteronomy 1:19-25 (NASB)
19 “Then we set out from Horeb, and went through all that great and terrible wilderness which you saw on the way to the hill country of the Amorites, just as the Lord our God had commanded us; and we came to Kadesh-barnea. 20 I said to you, ‘You have come to the hill country of the Amorites which the Lord our God is about to give us. 21 See, the Lord your God has placed the land before you; go up, take possession, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, has spoken to you. Do not fear or be dismayed.’
22 “Then all of you approached me and said, ‘Let us send men before us, that they may search out the land for us, and bring back to us word of the way by which we should go up and the cities which we shall enter.’ 23 The thing pleased me and I took twelve of your men, one man for each tribe. 24 They turned and went up into the hill country, and came to the valley of Eshcol and spied it out. 25 Then they took some of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down to us; and they brought us back a report and said, ‘It is a good land which the Lord our God is about to give us.’
SUMMARY
Moses reflects on their trip from Horeb (Mt. Sinai) to Kadesh-barnea through a vast and desolate wilderness. When they had come to the very borders of the Promised Land and the hills of Canaan were before their eyes, Moses said to them, in the name of God of their ancestors, to go up and take possession of the hill country of the Amorites by faith and not to fear or be discouraged in doing so. He was ready to lead the Israelites into Canaan. But instead of moving forward into the promised land with their full trust in God, they hung back and proposed that men be sent out to survey the land first and bring a report concerning it, which Moses agreed to. When the men returned, they brought back fruits and told how the land God had given them was good.
MEDITATION & REFLECTION
The will of God was for His people to take possession of Cannan in faith. He had already told them that the land was good and that they would take the land and defeat the nations living there. Unless they did not believe Him, there was no reason to confirm it on their own by taking a look at the enemies and see if God was somehow up to the challenge. It was through faith in God that Canaan was to be gained and occupied by the Israelites. But they lacked that faith and confidence in His promise and came short of what God had summoned them to do, which eventually led Israelites to wander around the wilderness for 40 years.
Today’s passage gave me a chance to reflect on my current situation and it reminded me to trust God, no matter what, even if the road God tells us to take seems impossible to follow. Last year, we did trust His lead in our calling, so we boldly stepped out in faith and let go of our business and our comfortable OC life. But with the last minute cancellation of the mission training and outreach due to the pandemic, it felt like all we prepared for 9 months in sweat and tears just crumbled. All things we planned out had to be cancelled and changed and we had to quickly rearrange our lives while being stuck at home not knowing the future of our family. It was a tough time for us as we were so heartbroken, disappointed and confused about His calling that we thought we clearly heard.
But, the more and more that we thought about our situation, we realized how God is so good and gracious to us and we are so thankful for His guidance and perfect timing. Honestly, shuffling around our family’s lives and planning for another chance at a mission training and outreach in September requires more faith and sacrifice than before. My mind is full of worries and questions like “What if it is cancelled again at the last minute due to the second wave of Covid-19? Even if we go, is it safe to live communally in the crowded mission base and be in the mission field in foreign countries with our young children during this horrific pandemic?, And how are we going to pay all the bills without working for more than a year? ” But even through the twists and turns, regardless of the outcome of this fall and our family’s future endeavors, we’ll fully trust him, without any doubt and fear, knowing He always leads us to the right place according to His perfect time and will.
APPLICATION
In this season of complete unknowns, I will trust Him even more and patiently wait for His appointed time as He tells us in Habakkuk 2:3, “For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” God tells us in Deuteronomy 31:8 that the Lord himself goes before us and will be with us; He will never leave us nor forsake us, so not to be afraid and discouraged. So today, I repent of my fear, doubt, and lack of confidence in His sovereignty. I pray that my bondage to fear and anxiety of an uncertain future be broken in the name of Jesus Christ. I will fully trust my Abba Father who prepares the way and provides for our family. I will always meditate on His goodness and be thankful for His unwavering love and faithfulness in my life through the ups and downs. I will glorify and honor the Lord with an obedient heart and live my life in faith described in Hebrews 11. Romans 10:17 says that faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. So I ask God not only to increase my faith through His words, but also the faith of others in Jesus Christ through our mission work and mentorship. I will also not be fearful but trust in His unmistakable plan during this difficult time of pandemic and division and violent chaos in our nation right now.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father God, thank You for the many precious promises You have made to me, knowing that what you have started You will surely complete to Your praise and glory. I desire to have deep faith that can move mountains. I seek to completely trust You in every step of the way and to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7), even if the road ahead of me is unseen, as I know that the way You prepared for me ultimately leads to You, Jesus. I pray that I would not be overcome by the fear of all the unknowns of our future plan, but to fully trust in Your perfectly timed plan for my life and my family’s. My hope is in You as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what You have prepared for those who love You, Lord. (1 Corinthians 2:9)
Our Promise Keeper, please give me patience as I wait for Your appointed times and the fulfillment of Your plans and purposes in my life. I give all the thanksgiving, glory and honor to You alone. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
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