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Out of the Wilderness…

 

 

…and into the promised land of milk and honey!

Are you tired of wondering around and around in the wilderness, eating nothing but manna, having just enough water to survive, not having a shade tree as shelter from the heat?  How about not knowing where you’re going - but where you’re at now looks just like where you were before - constantly finding yourself going in circles day after day, year after year?

 

You know that you’re supposed to be in Canaan, the Promised Land, the land flowing with milk and honey.  You had a chance once but you blew it by unbelief (those giants were BIG!) and now you wonder if you’ll ever get there.  Every time you get close and see the “land” across the river you remember the giants and turn around to go in circles again.

 

You want out of the wilderness!  You want the best that God has for you!  You want to fulfill the call of God on your life – your ministry, your talent.  But you can’t quite seem to make it.

 

Do you just not want it enough?  Do you not know the way out of the wilderness?  Are you lost?

 

Let’s revisit the story of the Israelites for a moment.  Every man who was 20 years old or older when they came out of Egypt – except for Caleb and Joshua – died in the wilderness.  They died because of unbelief.  Right after coming out of Egypt they had the opportunity to enter the land of Canaan and realize the promised inheritance.  That’s what God wanted them to do.  He had no intention of them remaining in the wilderness any longer than they needed to be.

 

Twelve men were sent to reconnoiter the land and ten of them said “we can’t do it!”  The people voted for the majority opinion and didn’t go in.  God condemned that group of men (20 and older) to die in the wilderness.

 

Now, just so we are clear on this:  This is an analogy (I Corin 10:1-11) and analogies can usually only go so far.  You may be in the wilderness alright but don’t forget you are NOT in Egypt.  You have been saved by the blood of Christ and because of God’s mercy.  You are in the wilderness but God has NOT condemned you to die there.  You are only there because you failed to believe strong enough to go into Canaan when you had the chance.

 

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the wilderness or what has happened to you there.  You do remember the snakes, right?  Or the quail you got sick on; or the plagues; or the fire; or the earthquake?  You do remember the golden calf, don’t you?  But, then, there was always the cloud by day and the fire by night to guide you; the water from the rock; the enemies you fought and defeated.

 

The question is:  Do you really want out of the wilderness?  Do you really want to go to the Promised Land?  Really?

 

Then here’s the answer:  You have to die!

 

 

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