Numbers Day 5
Read Numbers 13:1-15, Numbers 13:26-33
The third way that we see the Israelites heart issues on display in the book of Numbers is through the crippling fear that they have of the Canaanites. God tells Moses to go explore the land of Canaan with some of the Israelite men. The land of Canaan is the Promised Land that God promised Abraham (hence the name) He would give to his offspring.
Genesis 12:6-7
“Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”
The Israelites have witnessed the awesome power of God in so many ways. Yet, in this moment they can’t seem to take their eyes off of themselves. As they look at the Canaanites, they think “We aren’t good enough”, “We aren’t strong enough”, “We aren’t talented enough”. This is the same issue that Moses had back in Exodus 3 when God told him to tell Pharaoh that he needs to let the Israelites go. In that moment, God handled Moses’ fear by reminding him that it wasn’t about his own strength, it was about the fact that the one true God was with Him.
The primary issue is that the root of fear is a distrust in God. We all face fear, because we are normal and human. But how we respond to fear in our lives shows how much we trust our heavenly Father. In this moment, the Israelites should have met their fear of the Canaanites with the reality that God is on their side and has already promised this land to them. All they need to do is move forward and trust Him. But the crippling power of fear held them back from stepping into the thing that God had prepared for them.
Fear does the same thing in our lives today. Fear keeps us from walking in the path that the Lord has prepared for us. A fear of the opinion of others will always keep you from sharing your faith and making a difference in the world around you. A fear of judgement will always keep you from confessing sin and walking in freedom. One of Satan’s main tactics for persuading you and I to walk in disobedience is fear. But the good news is that when Jesus died on the cross and sent us the Holy Spirit to live within us, that Spirit does not lead us into fear.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
In other words, the Spirit of God does not lead you into fear. But rather it leads you into power, love and self-discipline. As our sinful nature creeps up and causes us to doubt God and fear our surroundings, our circumstances or even the next steps in obedience to following God, allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into trusting your heavenly Father and leaning on His power and faithfulness.
Questions to consider.
What are you fearful about in your life right now? What situations in life typically make you most nervous or scared?
What would it look like to trust God in these situations? What are some practical steps you could take to trust God in these moments?
Write down some of the things that scare you, then go through that list in prayer and ask God to remind you that He is bigger than each and every one of the things you have listed. Ask that God would help you to trust in Him and lean on His strength through those fearful situations.
The third way that we see the Israelites heart issues on display in the book of Numbers is through the crippling fear that they have of the Canaanites. God tells Moses to go explore the land of Canaan with some of the Israelite men. The land of Canaan is the Promised Land that God promised Abraham (hence the name) He would give to his offspring.
Genesis 12:6-7
“Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.”
The Israelites have witnessed the awesome power of God in so many ways. Yet, in this moment they can’t seem to take their eyes off of themselves. As they look at the Canaanites, they think “We aren’t good enough”, “We aren’t strong enough”, “We aren’t talented enough”. This is the same issue that Moses had back in Exodus 3 when God told him to tell Pharaoh that he needs to let the Israelites go. In that moment, God handled Moses’ fear by reminding him that it wasn’t about his own strength, it was about the fact that the one true God was with Him.
The primary issue is that the root of fear is a distrust in God. We all face fear, because we are normal and human. But how we respond to fear in our lives shows how much we trust our heavenly Father. In this moment, the Israelites should have met their fear of the Canaanites with the reality that God is on their side and has already promised this land to them. All they need to do is move forward and trust Him. But the crippling power of fear held them back from stepping into the thing that God had prepared for them.
Fear does the same thing in our lives today. Fear keeps us from walking in the path that the Lord has prepared for us. A fear of the opinion of others will always keep you from sharing your faith and making a difference in the world around you. A fear of judgement will always keep you from confessing sin and walking in freedom. One of Satan’s main tactics for persuading you and I to walk in disobedience is fear. But the good news is that when Jesus died on the cross and sent us the Holy Spirit to live within us, that Spirit does not lead us into fear.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
In other words, the Spirit of God does not lead you into fear. But rather it leads you into power, love and self-discipline. As our sinful nature creeps up and causes us to doubt God and fear our surroundings, our circumstances or even the next steps in obedience to following God, allow the Holy Spirit to lead you into trusting your heavenly Father and leaning on His power and faithfulness.
Questions to consider.
What are you fearful about in your life right now? What situations in life typically make you most nervous or scared?
What would it look like to trust God in these situations? What are some practical steps you could take to trust God in these moments?
Write down some of the things that scare you, then go through that list in prayer and ask God to remind you that He is bigger than each and every one of the things you have listed. Ask that God would help you to trust in Him and lean on His strength through those fearful situations.