Waiting for the Promised Land

I was preparing a lesson for my middle school small group girls about obedience and decided to use the story of Joshua and Caleb when they were chosen, along with ten other men, to go scout out the Promised Land.  When they returned, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (Numbers 13:30).  All the other guys said that the land was great but the people were too big and they would definitely lose the fight.  When Caleb and Joshua continued to fight for what they believed was right, the Israelites wanted to stone them! 
God had commanded and promised this land for the Israelites.  He promised that He would make it possible for them to live there.  Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who believed that, and wanted to obey what God had asked of them.

So you may have heard this story before.  I have, a dozen times.  But I have been praying and asking God to make His Word more alive to me and – in line with His character – He did. 

The Israelites punishment for disobeying God’s order was forty years wandering in the desert.  Not only that, but only the children would survive those years to actually enter the Promised Land.  Only children, except two people: Joshua and Caleb.  Because they were obedient and wanted to follow God’s commands, He promised that they would enter the Promised Land as well. 

But this is what struck me – Caleb and Joshua did everything right…but they still had to wander the desert for forty years.  40 years! They were rewarded for their faithfulness, but not right away.  They had to suffer those years of waiting because others were disobedient.  I don’t know about you, but I would not have been a happy camper (literally) if I were Joshua or Caleb.

A lot of us have probably been in somewhat of a similar situation, where we get punished or miss out because of someone else’s wrong doing.  It is not fair and hardly seems right. 

If I was Caleb I think I would’ve been like, “God…uhm…I know all of THEM didn’t trust you and didn’t listen…uh, but me and Josh did, soooo…can we just not spend half our lives out here waiting for THEIR punishment to end? Kthanks…”

As I kept reading I was amazed over and over again by the fact that nowhere do we find evidence of Caleb or Joshua EVER grumbling or complaining – they waited patiently for the reward God had for them.  It was enough for them that they would get into the Promised Land eventually.  Which to me says that what they cared about was not the result – the reward, but obeying God. 

So I think about all the ways in which I am waiting on the Lord in my own life.  I am waiting for my future husband to finally show up.  I am waiting for a job that feels fulfilling.  I am waiting for the day when my family all lives closer together (fingers crossed).  And those are all good things – those are all rewards that maybe will come from being faithful and obedient.  But the important part of any process is usually not the result, it is the process itself.  It is about what is learned and acquired throughout the journey. 

Caleb and Joshua waited 40 years to experience the Promised Land God wanted to give them.  When he was 85, Caleb was able to say, “I followed the Lord my God fully” (Joshua 14:8).  When I reach the end of my life, it really won’t matter what rewards I received or the blessed life I lived.  What will matter is that I can say with confidence, “I followed the Lord my God fully.”

Snowflakes and Sparrows

If you know me at all, you know I really don’t like winter.  I don’t like snow, and I just really don’t enjoy being cold.  So now I live in Colorado, a state known both for its snow and its sunshine and its affinity for having both in the same day. 

But the other day the snow (yes, it already came) reminded me of something lovely.

It is the kids fall break this week so I am nannying full time, which has meant playing a lot of street soccer and Connect 4.  We were toughing it out playing soccer even though it was freezing, and the snowflakes all of a sudden started coming down.  I sat down in one of the camp chairs we were using as a goal post, and started to notice the snowflakes as they landed on me.  About the size of a button, each had an intricate design and incredible detail.

Then I was amazed because as they touched the ground or my clothes, they melted immediately.  They lived a life only lasting from the sky to the ground, yet each had detail and design so unique and complex.

Matthew 10:29-31 says, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.”

Apparently back when Jesus said this, sparrows were used as sacrifices.  They would be sold to the poor and were worth basically nothing.  Jesus is saying that even this little useless animal is cared for and known by God.  So you – who are created in the image of God, reflecting His goodness and beauty – how much more must He love and care for you? How much more deeply does He know you?!

Even the snowflakes that come down only to coat the ground are designed intricately by God.  “Even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.”  Not only is God aware of you, but He knows every detail of your life.

He knows your heart and your desires for your life.  He knows the emotions you are feeling when no one else can read you.  He knows every conversation you will have tomorrow.  Most importantly, He loves you beyond measure. 

More than the sparrows, more than the snowflakes.

Trust...and obey.

So friends. We’ve talked about what trust is and what it means.  This week: one step in how to trust.

A friend in one of my classes said the other day, “Trust is tricky…because it is both the journey and the destination.”  In order to be trusting, you just have to trust.  You can’t really build your way up to it, you just have to do it.  When I think about practical steps we can take in order to trust God, obedience is number one.  Obedience is trust lived out.  Obeying and trusting God does not necessarily mean your life is going to be easy.  But it does mean you will have peace.

Imagine life as one giant path.  We each have our own path, and the choices we make determine which direction we are headed.  If we make choices that are in line with what God’s will is for our lives, we stay on the path.  If we make choices ourselves that go against what He wants for us, we can veer off and start making our own path. 

Any of you who hike know that if you go off of the pre-determined path and try to make your own it can be really difficult.  Usually you have to be much more careful where you step, and you may have to push aside all kinds of bushes and plants in order to get through.  It is a lot more work, and is more tiring than staying on the real path.  While we know that even the pre-determined path is going to hold hills, rocky patches, jumping over streams, etc…we know that it leads where we are supposed to go.  There is a plan and a purpose to going through all the tricky areas of the hike.

 So it is with our journey with God.  He does not promise us an easy path, in fact, He guarantees it won’t be.  But He promises to be with us and guide us through it all, if only we will trust Him. 

I will probably always have a lot of little kid analogies for you...but its a pretty accurate analogy between us and God most of the time (: Being a babysitter, I often get frustrated when I tell them not to do something and they do not listen.  When they don't listen to my advice (like, "Hey, don't do a flip onto that chair"..."No, lets not swing the lightsaber around the baby"...etc.) they or someone else ends up getting hurt. If they had just listened to me, they would avoid so much pain they inflict on themselves and others.  I often picture God doing one of those palm-to-forehead things when we do not listen and follow His advice for us.
I have seen first hand what comes when we trust and obey God, and what happens when we do not.  The path that we create for ourselves might look enticing, in fact it might even appear to be easier.  But it does not lead where we were intended to go, and often becomes a dangerous and painful detour that could have been avoided. 

I challenge you to think about your life right now – all the different aspects of it, but focus on the hardest situation you are currently facing.  Are you trusting God in that? What does it look like to trust God in that situation?  Are you choosing your own path, even though you know it might lead to heartache and pain?

Proverbs 3:6 says, “Seek His will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take” (NLT).

Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed” (NIV).

I know its not easy; it may seem easier to make your own choices and live the way you want to.  But ultimately, that will never go without harm. 

Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand” (ESV).

The encouragement is that God does not ever leave you, even when you wander onto your own path.   And He can and will use those detours for good.  He does not want us to submit to His will simply as a power trip; He wants us to submit and obey because He has the best in store for us.  If we will just trust, if we will wait, for His timing and His will – oh, the blessings we will experience!

I encourage you this week, listen to the Lord’s voice in your life and what He may be saying.  Ask Him and yourself if your choices reflect your trust in Him.  He is walking with You always, but His path leads to bigger and better things than yours ever could. 

What Trusting Means

Last week I wrote about trust, and how it is a good thing to trust God because God knows what He is doing.  But after I wrote it I started thinking, “Yeah, trust is great Kallie…but HOW? What does it look like to trust God? What does it even mean??”

I don’t have the answer to that question because as you saw, I am really just learning.  But here are some humble thoughts.

First, I spent my Saturday as all the cool kids do, in the library.  I was reading a book by David Benner for my thesis (which I am sure I will start talking about. A LOT.)  While I read this quote popped out at me:

 “Trust is always placed in someone or something, and our act of trust is an act of leaning into the object of trust with openness and expectant hopefulness.”

I love this quote so much.  I especially love the picture it gives of leaning into God (because He is our object of trust) with openness and expectant hopefulness. 
Now maybe, depending on how you view God, the idea of ‘leaning into Him’ might seem like a terrifying idea.  Try to imagine God as the most loving Father (because He is – 1 John 3:1) and we are just his children who can come and run to Him and sit in His lap whether we are celebrating life’s beauty or crying over life’s pain. 

I babysit for a women’s bible study, and there is one little girl who every time I sit down, comes running and plops herself down on my lap.  This to me is the perfect example of openness.  She knows she is welcome, and is confident in coming to me to receive love and comfort whether she is happy or sad.

God wants us to do this.  Trust means coming to Him, leaning into Him with openness.

I love the phrase he uses next: expectant hopefulness.  To hope is one thing, but to hope with expectation exemplifies trust. 

Lets make one point about this first: Expectation is different than expectations.  Expectations means we have a to do list for God.  We cannot transfer our human expectations onto God, because He is in control and knows what He is doing (but that’s a whole other topic for later J). 

We can however, hope with expectation.  It means that you know something is coming.  If we practice expectant hopefulness, we know that God has a plan and will fulfill it.  And with God, we can fully know that He will provide and answer and care for us, all of the time. We know that He works for our good.

Read this verse slowly, line by line:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.

His mercies never come to an end.

They are new every morning.

Great is thy faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) 

I think in order to begin to trust God, we have to know who He is.  We have to learn that He is faithful and that throughout history, His people have experienced His faithfulness in a multitude of ways.  His steadfast love NEVER stops.  His mercies never end.  Every morning, He has new gifts for us. 

We also have to trust in God’s timing.  Even though my life right now is not what I thought it would be, I know it is His plan and His purpose being worked out in and through me.  Trust means humbly laying down your plans and expectations, and believing that His plans and timing are better than yours.  He is never late and never early.  His timing is perfect.

Think about it practically, how much do you trust someone you don’t know?  Probably not as much as you trust your parents or your best friend. Corrie Ten Boom said, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”  In order to trust God, we have to know Him.  Only then can we lean into Him with openness and expectant hopefulness.