Devotions

DEVOTION BY MARK FUGATE  

The Promised Land

Moses sent twelve spies into the promised land – all twelve experienced the same thing – but they came back not seeing it the same way.  You would never remember the name of the ten who said we can’t do it – but the two who said we could are household names – Caleb and Joshua.  Some of you have named your kids Caleb or Joshua.  Those two boys had a front row seat to watch God work, they saw the ten plagues come up on Egypt.  They watched just how far God goes to do what he says he’s going to do.  They went through the Red Sea experience and now they are on the edge of the promised land.

And that’s what it was called – the promised land.  God had already made them the promise about this place he would give to them – it’s called the promised land, not the I’ll think about it land – not the we will see land – not the you let me know what you think land – not the I’ll get back with you land.  Not the maybe land, not the probably land, not the more than likely land – but the promised land.  And these twelve spies Moses sent were not sent as consultants.  God didn’t’ say hey pick twelve and let’s have them do an analysis of the situation and put together a pie chart of probability before deciding if we go in.  That’s not how this goes, and that’s not how God rolls.

• He doesn’t ask them for their opinion on whether or not they think this is a good idea.

He sends them in to explore something he has already promised them.  Man this is our challenge as well when we look at the world we live in.  If our perspective is going to be shaped by faith then this needs to be our attitude.

• Don’t let what you think is possible get in the way of what God has already promised.

I don’t care what happens culturally, what’s going on around us, how far morally declined you feel like we have fallen, God has promised us a new place.  It’s not a matter of if, it’s not a matter of how, it’s not a matter of can we understand it, it’s simply a matter of when.  And when that day comes, like the Israelites of old we will step into our promised land.