Bible League: Living His Word But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!"Our verse for today is part of the story recorded in Numbers 13-14 of the twelve scouts that Moses sent out from the camp of the Israelites to explore the land of Canaan. Ten of the twelve returned with a bad report. Although they acknowledged that it was "a land flowing with milk and honey," as the Lord had promised them, they described the people of Canaan as being too big and too strong to conquer. Only Joshua and Caleb reported that the Israelites could take the land. The story is instructive for the people of God of all ages. First, we can learn that when the time comes to move from our period of trial and testing in the Wilderness into the fullness of what God has planned for our lives, there may well be many obstacles. Graduation from our own personal Wilderness into our own personal Promised Land does not mean that the struggles of life are over. Indeed, they have only just begun. The conquest of the new situation must still take place and the enemies will not just step aside. Second, as we approach the new situation we will have a choice to make. Will we trust God to take us into it and through it, or will we fall into unbelief? Will we be on the side of the ten scouts, or on the side of Joshua and Caleb? The obstacles will be real enough. It's not as if the ten scouts were seeing things. There actually were giants in the land. Everything that happened to us in the wilderness was preparation for facing the giants and now the choice must be made. Finally, we must make the right choice. Joshua, Caleb, and Moses made the right choice. They urged the people to move forward and conquer and take possession of the land. Like them, we must have the courage born of faith to move forward. What is needed at that moment is not a natural vision of what is, but a supernatural faith vision of what can be. Perhaps you are at the place of decision today. Perhaps the Promised Land looms ahead in the distance. Already, however, you can see the giants. Trust God and do not fear. After all, do you really want to go back into the Wilderness? Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingPsalm 47, 48, 49 Psalm 47 -- Oh clap your hands, all you nations. Shout to God with the voice of triumph! NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 48 -- Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Psalm 49 -- Hear this, all you peoples. Listen, all you inhabitants of the world, NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Acts 26 Acts 26 -- Paul's Defense Before Agrippa NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion So watch yourselves!“If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.” Insight To rebuke does not mean to point out every sin we see; it means to bring sin to a person's attention with the purpose of restoring him or her to God and to fellow humans. Challenge When you feel you must rebuke another Christian for a sin, check your attitudes before you speak. Do you love the person? Are you willing to forgive? Unless rebuke is tied to forgiveness, it will not help the sinning person. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon 2 Peter 1:5, 6 Giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge, etc.If thou wouldest enjoy the eminent grace of the full assurance of faith, under the blessed Spirit's influence, and assistance, do what the Scripture tells thee, "Give diligence." Take care that thy faith is of the right kind--that it is not a mere belief of doctrine, but a simple faith, depending on Christ, and on Christ alone. Give diligent heed to thy courage. Plead with God that he would give thee the face of a lion, that thou mayest, with a consciousness of right, go on boldly. Study well the Scriptures, and get knowledge; for a knowledge of doctrine will tend very much to confirm faith. Try to understand God's Word; let it dwell in thy heart richly. When thou hast done this, "Add to thy knowledge temperance." Take heed to thy body: be temperate without. Take heed to thy soul: be temperate within. Get temperance of lip, life, heart, and thought. Add to this, by God's Holy Spirit, patience; ask him to give thee that patience which endureth affliction, which, when it is tried, shall come forth as gold. Array yourself with patience, that you may not murmur nor be depressed in your afflictions. When that grace is won look to godliness. Godliness is something more than religion. Make God's glory your object in life; live in his sight; dwell close to him; seek for fellowship with him; and thou hast "godliness;" and to that add brotherly love. Have a love to all the saints: and add to that a charity, which openeth its arms to all men, and loves their souls. When you are adorned with these jewels, and just in proportion as you practise these heavenly virtues, will you come to know by clearest evidence "your calling and election." "Give diligence," if you would get assurance, for lukewarmness and doubting very naturally go hand in hand. Daily Light on the Daily Path Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going.Psalm 47:4 He chooses our inheritance for us, The glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah. Deuteronomy 32:10-12 "He found him in a desert land, And in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye. • "Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, That hovers over its young, He spread His wings and caught them, He carried them on His pinions. • "The LORD alone guided him, And there was no foreign god with him. Isaiah 48:17 Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, "I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to profit, Who leads you in the way you should go. Job 36:22 "Behold, God is exalted in His power; Who is a teacher like Him? 2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight-- Hebrews 13:14 For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come. 1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Micah 2:10 "Arise and go, For this is no place of rest Because of the uncleanness that brings on destruction, A painful destruction. New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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