Have you ever wanted to do something, only to be overwhelmed by fear? Last summer my 11-year-old grandson attempted to complete a high-ropes course. But once he got high off the ground, fear gripped him. He couldn’t accomplish what he had set out to do.
In Numbers chapter 14, after the twelve spies returned from scouting the Promised Land, the people faced their own high-ropes moment. Would they trust God’s promise and enter the land, or would they retreat to safety?
Despite Caleb and Joshua’s passionate plea that “the land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us” (vv. 7–8), the people chose fear over faith. The people’s response to Caleb and Joshua was devastating: “But the whole assembly talked about stoning them” (v. 10). Rather than trusting God’s promise, they wanted to kill the messengers of hope and return to Egyptian slavery.
God’s anger burned against their unbelief, but Moses interceded for the people, reminding God of His character: “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished“ (v. 18). God’s response was both merciful and just. He forgave their sin but declared that the generation that refused to trust Him would wander in the wilderness for forty years. Only their children would inherit the promise they had rejected.
Fear-based decisions can lead to missing God’s best. Like Israel, when God calls you to step into His promises, choose faith over the false security of staying where you are. Remember that unbelief has consequences not just for you but for those who follow.
Go Deeper
Can you remember a time when fear stopped you from following God’s calling? As you look back at that choice today, would you do things differently?
Pray with Us
God, we often let our fear get the best of us. We avoid opportunities choosing the easier or safer way. Remind us that through You we are “more than conquerors” (Rom. 8:37).
The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished.Numbers 14:18
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