Finding The Promised Land

Many times in my life I have been almost there. I’m not speaking of some perfect place where everything is fine and dandy and visions of lollipops, rainbows, and unicorns stream fantastically by around me. I’m talking about a spiritual state in my life where I know that I am walking side by side with God and I find myself perfectly within His will. I have been so close at times that I have almost tasted it. (Psalms 34:8 – “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”)

The problem has always been that I live in the world, and more often than not, I drift much too close to it. OK, let’s be frank – I have a tendency to wallow in it! Living a spiritual life is tough because if you live that life there are things you can no longer be a part of. And many things in life are hard to give up. In my fallen state, sometimes those things appear to be better or more important than things I know will be waiting for me if I just let them go and follow the Lord explicitly.

There is also an evil in the world that is beyond what I can imagine or am cognizant of realizing. If I do take the plunge, and settle in my mind that once and for all I am going to follow the Lord; that power will be unleashed upon me. The roaring lion is out there, and he will make my life miserable as his bell of evil and misery will surely toll for me. At the present I am comfortable in my life; I am safe. My spiritual life could be better, but life would be so much harder if I did the things that God would have me do.

Israel was approaching the Promised Land, fresh from the miracles they had witnessed God perform on Mount Sinai. God was leading them through the desert with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They sent ten spies into the land to scope it out and to see what they were up against. When they returned, the reports were extraordinary. They reported that the land was ‘flowing with milk and honey’ and brought back a staff of grapes so huge that it took two men to carry it as proof. The land was a veritable Eden and was all that they had imagined and more importantly, all that God had promised it would be. Excitement ran rampant through the camp as the reports were told and retold among the assembled congregation.

Then came the report of bad news: “Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.” When Joshua and Caleb responded that it was still possible to take the land, the other eight spies quickly added, “We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.”

How quickly things changed out in the wilderness that day. The children of Israel were now pining for a return to slavery back in Egypt, and any thought of continuing on into the Promised Land was summarily dismissed. Slavery appeared to be a better option than facing the giants of Anak. The cluster of grapes looked appetizing, but it was surely safer and a lot less trouble to continue living off manna and water in the dry, barren desert.

But here’s the thing – they were designed for much better things through the promise of God. His desire was for them to live in the land of promise as His chosen people, and to be a light for the rest of the world to follow. But how could God keep that promise if the people He chose did not want it? You’ll have to read the rest of the story for yourself in Numbers 14, but it is not a pretty sight – I’ll warn you ahead of time.

Over three-thousand years later, God still has a plan for us. He wants us to obtain the state of being spiritual in our lives, of finally reaching the goal of living our lives within His will. Yes, it looks tough and the road can be hard to follow from time to time, but He is always leading us. I can’t beat the giants on my own and neither can you; they are there and they will be waiting for us at every turn we make. But I have found that when I am weak, when I finally give in and decide that I need less of me and more of Him, then I can be strong. Suddenly those giants are not quite as fierce or dangerous as they were reported to be.

But we have to take the first step. It is up to us to cross the river and begin the journey. Yet I know He is waiting patiently for us on the other side.