Deuteronomy 1 - Look Back Before You Move Forward

Those who do not learn the lessons history presents are doomed to repeat them. Each of us looks forward to the moment we have arrived-the pinnacle of our lives achieved with God's help. But we must heed the lessons of the history God has brought His people through and our own history. Our experiences have all been purposeful. The good and the bad woven together to help us see life from God's perspective and to help us develop the character of His Son. 

Moses and the nation of Isreal are poised to enter the promised land, but before proceeding to take the land God has given, Moses reminds the nation of how trustworthy God has been and how the people have disregarded God's instructions. 

Moses highlights key events in their travels. He reminds them that they have become a great nation as a result of the Lord's blessing. (Deut 1:10). God has made them as numerous as the stars of the sky. With so many, Moses appointed judges in each tribe to address the needs of the people and to settle disputes. 

When they came to the border of the Amorites, God told the nation to go an possess the land. Instead they chose to send in spies to scout out the land. They brought back fruit of the land and reported that the land was rich and pleasant, but their fear of the enemy was greater than their faith in God. God had been so trustworthy and had demonstrated his power to the people over and again yet they would not trust Him to deliver the land into their hands, so God passed the inheritance onto the children and banished the parents from the land. Yet in their stubbornness they acknowledged their failure and assumed God would overturn His punishment. They went into the land against God and againsnt the Amorites, again showing their ignorance and rebellion. 

When we allow fears to keep us from being boldly acting on God's instructions we are acting in rebellion to God. Whether it is in witnessing or obedience, we display our trust in God daily as we either choose to live for Him or for ourselves. The strange thing is that our life is greatly enriched when we are faithful, but we may not be able to see it at the time if decision. Even our acts of obedience are done in faith. When we act faithlessly we demonstrate we don't believe God will judge the righteous from the faithless. Like wheat and tares, we don't see that there is a difference in the fruit we bear and in the end there will be separation.

We can learn from the lessons of Israel and choose to be like Joshua (Deut 1:38) and Caleb (Deut 1:36) believing God's promise will come to fulfillment. We choose to act in belief or rebellion demonstrating our faith. I pray you will choose belief. 

God has a plan for your life to allow you to demonstrate faith and to receive the promised inheritance of the saints. The world is loud in their rebellion, but God is still trustworthy if we will believe and act in belief by following His plan for us.

May God richly bless you as you seek Him and as you serve Him.