Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Have you ever forgotten something that happened 40 years ago.  Or do you have a tendency to forget over time what the Lord did in your life in the past.  At this very moment I am trying to remember aspects of answered prayer back that far and for the life of me cannot come up with a single thing, although I know that there were many things that He did.  I just can’t remember them.

I was struck this morning as I was beginning to read Joshua of an incident when two spies were sent out by Joshua to look over the land and especially Jericho just before the nation of Israel crossed over to take possession of the promised land.  The interaction of the Rahab and the two spies are recorded in Joshua 2:9-14.  Rahab begins to tell the spies that she knew that the Lord had given the Israelites the land because of what had happened 40 years before with the parting of the Red Sea.  Think of that statement for a minute.  The news of the parting of the sea 40 years ago had come to the promised land and the people living in the promised land and they had thought about what God had done for 40 years (God’s imprint).  And their hearts melted away when they heard the news.  God’s plan was for the nation of Israel to go into the promised land 1 1/2 years after being released from Egypt.   He had gone before them to take the promised land by causing the hearts of the people in the promised land to melt away.

The nation of Israel didn’t experience the promised land for another 40 years because they didn’t trust what God had already gone ahead of and prepared the way.  Unfortunately the Israelites didn’t trust God or His word to go in and take the promised land and so they suffered the consequences of wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and died there without ever experiencing what God had already set up for them to enjoy.

I wonder in my life how many promises have gone unopened that God wanted for me to partake in because of my unbelief as I looked at the circumstances and pulled back from opening the promises that He was ready to give me.  I guess the lesson for me and for all of us is that when we see a promise and command from God, it is important to move on that command with faith in Him that He has already gone ahead and imprinted His plan on all that are part of that plan.