FAILED PRIVILEGES

God is continually faithful to his promises he has made to his people, and he has a good plan for our life. In spite of the remarkable privileges given to us, most of us fail to listen to God and live and die in the wilderness. When the people of Israelites left Egypt under the promise of God, they were helped constantly by the supernatural provision of God. The miraculous hand of the almighty God guided them through all the challenges they faced. In addition, God had to make their heart humble before him in the wilderness. Yet they did not cooperate with the plan of God. Had they cooperated with the plan of God, they would have enjoyed the full provision of God. Nevertheless they grumble and remained in the wilderness. Out of the millions of people who got out of Egypt with Moses only Joshua and Caleb entered the promise land, Canaan (Nub. 14:22-24).

Paul in his letter to the Corinthians, refering to what happened to the Israelites in the wilderness, said, “Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:11). What, then, should we learn from the people who died in the wilderness? These people did not inherit the temporal earthly rest with Joshua and Caleb. In contrast, we are called to enjoy the eternal and heavenly rest of God. If we are not enjoying the provision of heaven in Jesus Christ how much more heartbreaking would it be to God. “Nevertheless, with most of them God was not well-pleased; for they were laid low in the wilderness” (1 Cor. 10:5). Nothing breaks the heart of God more than his children disobeying him and falling short of his perfect will for them. All commandments of God are benevolent. Whenever we break God’s principles, we break both divine law and loving heart.

The children of Israel in the wilderness were not without promise but they were without obedience. We should not grumble as they grumbled and shrink back form God as they did. The writer of Hebrew’s said,
“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need to endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while, he who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one shall live by faith and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul” (Heb. 10:35-39).

The purpose of God will be established with us or in spite of us; however, his eternal purpose, regardless of what we are, will not be thwarted. It is an honor and privilege to be part of the last day’s army of God. We are the end time harvesters of souls for the master. Therefore, let us take heed and take pain that we will carefully follow the counsel of God so that we do not fail to see what is coming. Seeing alone is not enough, we have to prepare ourselves to it too. God is faithful. No turning back in Jesus Name!