In a Faith Setback?

They came out of Egypt, caught a glimpse of the land of Canaan—what God promised them—and truly, it flowed with milk and honey! Big bonus—the grapes were lush and gigantic. But so were the current occupants of the land. Ten doubters out of the twelve tribesmen sent to scope out the region spread disbelief and angst among all the people. They didn’t believe they could take out the occupying giants, even though God said they would. They lost heart. They’d forgotten what God had done for them.
 
He'd delivered them out of their slavery and suffering in Egypt. How quickly the followers forgot his miracle after miracle after miracle, his great lengths to usher them safely toward what he’d promised them. Yet they came to a place where they grumbled and complained against God, who had set them free. This was a grievance to the Lord. The people rebelled against him when they questioned why the Lord would bring them all that way through the desert only to die; that it would’ve been better to be left in Egypt, to have died in Egypt. They forgot how to trust.
 
Their disobedience caused the Lord to prohibit that unbelieving generation from entering the land, and so they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. It was like a sentence of one year for each of the 40 days they’d been given to scout out the promised land. Only Joshua and Caleb, the two faithful spies out of the twelve, who believed God’s promise for that region despite the giants living there, were allowed to go into the Promised Land after the time of wandering; the only two men from their generation.
 
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
 
I’m reminded right now of the old Christian hymn, “Trust and Obey”, written by John H. Sammis. The melody is filling my head:
 
When we walk with the Lord
in the light of his word,
what a glory he sheds on our way!
While we do his good will,
he abides with us still, and with all who will trust and obey.
 
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there's no other way
to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
 
Not a burden we bear,
not a sorrow we share,
but our toil he doth richly repay;
not a grief or a loss,
not a frown or a cross,
but is blest if we trust and obey. [Refrain]
 
But we never can prove
the delights of his love
until all on the altar we lay;
for the favor he shows,
for the joy he bestows,
are for them who will trust and obey. [Refrain]
 
Then in fellowship sweet
we will sit at his feet,
or we'll walk by his side in the way;
what he says we will do,
where he sends we will go;
never fear, only trust and obey.
 
We must walk by faith and not by sight. Because we don’t hear or see his deliverance or fulfillment of promises to us—even if the waiting spans decades—does not mean he’s abandoned us, or that he will never do it. As long as we trust and obey. If we lose sight, stray, rebel, have a crisis of faith… it can be a blockage to what’s sometimes just ahead. We might be standing right on the border of our own Canaan. Or if we’re yet a little distance away from it, God still knows what’s best; his timeline is perfect, and we absolutely have to get back to trusting him. We might need to repent. Lord, forgive me for my disobedience. And start again, fresh, for his mercies are new every morning…
 
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22-23)
 
Have you been holding deep disappointments or stuck in dark discouragements? Are you weary from years of simply enduring? Do you feel spent or used up from your journey in the desert? Do you wonder, What’s the point? Feel like throwing in the towel?
 
God won’t lead us all this way, just to let us die in the desert. Remember what he’s done in your life. God is not a liar. He won’t lead you toward something, only to let go and watch you flail. He wants to come to your rescue—he wants to be your rescue. Always. He will never only guide and direct you toward something without also providing his grace, strength, power, and protection to cover you, see you through, and to enable you to receive ALL that he has for you. Milk, honey, expansion, and yes, those juicy grapes.
 
If you feel you’ve lost your way, or have trouble believing that he’ll still do what he has said he’d do… If you have trouble trusting him right now. Just ask him: Lord, help me to trust you.
 
If it’s really hard right now, a desperate place, and you feel like you’re losing it, beg him: “Lord, please help me to trust you again! Help me to have hope again. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. I want to know and keep your ways, experience your providence, so I can actually step foot into the promises you still have for my life.”
 
Additional Biblical references:
Exodus
Numbers 13-14

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