How many of us are quick to judge and condemn Israel for their stubborn and determined rebellion against Jehovah in their wilderness journeys. How many of us wonder at such incorrigible resistance against the divine will in spite of all the miracles displayed before their very eyes.
The leadings of Jehovah and the way He chooses for His people, are ever a mystery. From antiquity, the LORD has never fully opened up on His plans for His people, but ever gives them clues in bits and pieces, using visions, dreams, trance, and His Spoken Word. Thus, He expects His Children to follow His leading with absolute and unquestioning faith…
For many, this is too much to ask, and they decide to seek help and direction from other sources, where they can get “faster and easier” assurance. To believe in God, wait on Him, and follow His leadings in faith, when all odds are against us, undeniably requires a huge leap of faith. For in most cases, it requires deciding against reason and worldly practices/wisdom…
To the inexperienced and ungodly, this is mysterious and impossible to do. And especially as they can’t see God, they conclude that He either doesn’t exist or that He is too slow to answer prayers. Some conclude that He is too isolated to even care about us. Yet, to the faithful few who choose to follow His leading, He comes as a great leader who never fails His people…
Similarly, when Israel left Egypt, they didn’t envisage going through troubles and trials. They expected to have an easy pass into Canaan, the promised land. Yet, they were led by the divine cloud through the wilderness…at every step of the way, they were met with difficulties, and instead of trusting God in faith to remove those challenges, they complained bitterly and even tried stoning their leaders.
So ungrateful and faithless were they that in spite of all the challenges that God miraculously saved them from, they complained bitterly. Indeed, they made a god for themselves at Sinai when Moses was away for only 40 days. They sided with Dathan, Korah, and Abiram to lead them back to Egypt…they almost stoned Joshua and Caleb for encouraging them to advance to Canaan…
They complained about the food, water, meat … everything. It affected Moses so much that he even sinned and couldn’t enter Canaan. Yet, they were being led by God. Israel wasn’t ready for a God who will mould them through suffering as a means to make them better, but they wanted a god who will give them easy life. Such is the world today.
Many Christians will seek miracle-working pastors, fake prophets and teachers, occults, necromancers, witches, or even sell their souls to Satan, who will give them quick fixes to their problems. Yet, the problems of life are the means God uses to bring out the worst in us, to turn them into our best.
The way of the Lord is not all smooth and rosy, but they’re the best for us. Christ himself went through suffering…but ended up in glory. Those who are patient and faithful to God will see His glory once He has finished training them through His appointed training agencies. As Isaiah said:
“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
In that great hymn of Charles Wesley, “Captain of Israel’s Host and Guide”, the providence of God for His faithful ones are beautifully summarized.
“By His unerring Spirit led; we shall not in the desert stray; we shall, not full direction need, nor miss our Providential way; as far from danger as from fear..!”
On this beautiful Sabbath, may we determine to submit to the Divine direction and guidance instead of flippantly seeking fleeting help from devils, friends, or men.
