Trust verses Fear

 

“We went into the land where you sent us and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large, and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.” Numbers 13:27-28

God told Moses in Exodus 3:7-8 that He had seen the affliction of the His people, “I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” Ten plagues yes I said ten plagues to convince Pharaoh to let the people leave Egypt. Each plaque worse than the one before until the last one that claimed the lives of the firstborn unless there was blood on the door post and then the angel passed over that house.  Moses was in charge of the exodus but God lead the people by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea. Another miracle, the parting of the Red Sea.

 

 

The people walked through the Sea on dry land. Miracles continued to occur, they received manna from heaven. The Lord led the way and never left them, He went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and to lead them by a pillar of fire by night to give them light so they could travel day and night.  Forty days they traveled, God brought them to the edge of the promised land.

 

Twelve men chosen to go and scope out the land. God assigned in Numbers 13, one man from each tribe. Moses instructed the men to explore, bring back a report, and some of the fruit from the land. They explored the land for forty days. God had promised to give them the land.  In a traumatic choice, ten of the twelve decided it was too dangerous to go into the land, they let fear cloud their judgment.  As we read, the spies return, in Numbers 13: 27-31 in the MSG Bible, “We went to the land to which you sent us and oh! It does flow with milk and honey! The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are huge and well fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of Anak there.” Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do this.” However, the ten spread doubt among the people, “we seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them.” In Numbers 14, the people believed the ten and not the two who told the truth.  In verses 1-4, “The whole community was in an uproar wailing all night long. All the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Why didn’t we die in Egypt? Or in this wilderness.” Israel rebelled. They wanted to appoint a leader and return to Egypt. Joshua and Caleb pleaded with the people to not rebel against God and to not FEAR the people of the land. Joshua and Caleb believed God’s promise that he would give them the land flowing with milk and honey.

Numbers 14:6-9, Joshua and Caleb told the truth,  “The land we walked through and scouted out is a very good land, if God is pleased with us He will lead us into that land, a land that flows of milk and honey. And He’ll give it to us. Just don’t rebel against God! And don’t be afraid”

What are you afraid of? What fears are you facing that is preventing you from reaching your potential? Is it the fear of rejection, fear of change, fear of death, fear of tomorrow, fear of a person?

Fear can paralyze you and prevent you from going into the land flowing with milk and honey. 

The ten men definitely did not trust God like Joshua and Caleb. Is there a fear that you have that is preventing you from trusting God? Perhaps you are facing rejection and now there is a wall or a mistrust of God because you are afraid of being rejected again. God will never reject you. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. In John 3″16 He gave his son so that those who believe will have eternal life. Perhaps you have a fear of failure, but unless you try, you will not know success. What a story it would have been had the ten not rebelled, and had trusted God!

Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight.” (NIV) 

 II Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” 

 

So beloved, analyze your fear, is there a defense mechanism you are using to cope, when did the fear begin? Once you admit you have the fear, claim God’s word.

Practice with me. I have a fear of change. My defense mechanism is to isolate, the fear probably began when my mom died.  So this is the prayer, “Lord I renounce the fear of change or changing, Lord I renounce the coping mechanism of isolate so I do not have to change, Lord, I have not liked change since my mom died, my world changed when I lost my mom. But Lord your word says you did not give me a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love and a sound mind. The truth is the changes I have gone through have been good changes and I can trust your word, Romans 8:28 that in all things You will work it for my good because I am called  according to your purpose.”

For each fear, claim God’s promise and provision.

Father God for the woman walking in fear I pray that she bring her fears to you. For each fear Lord there is a lie, we know the lies we believe that we are not worthy of your love, we are not good enough, that you are too busy to help me with my fears. Lord I ask that they bring their fears and lay the fears at the feet of Jesus. I am full of gratitude that you are the greatest fear object and that I do not have to fear or be afraid. Blessings