Unnecessary Delays

Numbers 14:22-23

"Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs, which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice, shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned me see it."

Observation:
Waiting for God’s promises to become a reality is a normal premise in the kingdom of God. But the normal waiting period could be extended if our character is not ready for the blessing. This passage reveals that a problem occurs when our character causes unnecessary delays in the plan of God for us. There is a huge debate in the theological community about the way God is portrayed here by the writer of Numbers. It seems as if God is surprised with the Israelites’ grumbling and stubbornness. At times seems that God cannot make His mind about the people—at one moment He wants to kill them all, but then Moses’ intercession for the people causes God to relent. If not careful, we could misinterpret this passage and have a wrong view of the character of God. The truth has been, is, and always will be that God is omniscient. He knows everything because He plans everything. Every single detail in the universe either macrocosmic or microscopic happens because the Lord plans it that way. However, God never violates another biblical principle, which is the free will of men. It is a mystery the way God can do both, have control of the entire universe and give room to men to choose their destiny. Some scholars will go far enough to claim that they solved this mystery. Their answer usually compromises either God’s sovereignty or God’s gift of free will to men. Our minds cannot comprehend how God can handle both. God had a plan for the people of Israel that never changed. He wasn’t taken by surprise or forced to come up with a plan B. He knew that the promise land was to be given to a new generation that had a different spirit than the generation that was delivered form Egypt. Besides Caleb and Joshua, the entire people had a slave mentality woven into each fiber of their character. Such mentality caused the promise to be delayed unnecessarily for forty years. Was this delay unnecessary? Yes! An entire generation lost the chance to enjoy the Promised Land because they refused to be different. If they were more teachable, thankful and faithful to the God they saw in action several times for their sake, they would enjoyed the privileges of seeing, conquering, and living in the Promised Land.

Application:
God never changes, but He will delay His blessings over my life if my character is not ready. My stubbornness, grumbling, rebellion against authorities, and lack of trust in God’s Mighty Hand will cause unnecessary delays in my life. God knows everything about me from my past, my present and my future. But also He gives me margins to make wise decisions, to learn valuable lessons, to walk in His will. The only hope we have as believers is to trust in the work of Christ in the cross. Our constant and genuine faith in the redemptive power of Jesus’ blood will cause everything in us to thrive. We will jump into moving trains of blessings right at the perfect moment. God has great promises for my life and for our church. The more I walk in dependence to Jesus, the more those promises will come at the perfect time. Of all the character flaws that bring unnecessary delays described above, stubbornness is the one that hunts me often. The Israelites tested the Lord ten times by telling God what He was supposed to do. I wonder how many times I do the same. I’m pretty sure than more than ten. If it wasn’t for His mercy over my life I would be long dead. We must become very teachable, especially when the Lord himself is giving us the instructions. The more we soften our hearts to the whispers of his voice, the more blessings we will bring upon ourselves.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the many times I allowed character flaws that created unnecessary delays for your blessings over my life. Please give me a clean heart that is willing to obey quickly to your instructions. Thank you for giving me room to choose my blessings and help me to pay the price with diligence, humility, and dependence in your presence. I love you Jesus. AMEN!