DAY 4
DATE: 1/4/13
Good Morning! My name is Jeff Herrold and I was asked to give you a devotional thought from the book of Numbers chapters 13-14.
KEY VERSE: Numbers 13:31,33 “But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And there we saw the GIANTS.” Num. 14:9 “Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are BREAD for us: their DEFENCE is departed from them, and the LORD is with us, fear them not.”
REFLECTIONS:
Two main things that stuck out to me were:
1.) The 12 spies all agreed on what they had seen. They had all seen the grapes, had seen that the land was flowing with milk and honey, that it was amazing, that it was more than what they had expected, and they all agreed that there was a stronger, more equipped army living in the land. But what did Joshua and Caleb see that the 10 didn’t? The 10 were looking at the situation in their eyes, while the other 2 were looking at it through God’s eyes. I love the key verse where the 10 say how strong their walls are, how strong the people are, they will eat us up, everyone works out at the Gold’s Gym, there are no runts in this bunch. I can see the picture that they are painting before the people and all of them gasping and maybe even covering the ears of their children, but they saved the worst news till last: They have seen the children of Anak. Oh, no! Not them, they’re the GIANTS. And they were not talking about the New York Giants. These were the real deal. I love what the 2 say back to the people after they are all worked up. Are we going to rebel against the Lord after He has promised us this land? They are helpless before us, they have no protection against us. Why? The Lord is with us. “If God be for us, who can be against us?”
2.) God did not smite the enemy dead. He made the people fight their battle. God was going to win the battle for them, but they had to show up, not just at any time – at God’s time. I am reminded of another passage where Nehemiah is trying to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and he is facing opposition all around him. And then things get so bad, half the people are keeping watch with swords and spears, while the other half are carrying swords in one hand and hammers in the other. Nehemiah prayed in Nehemiah 6:9, “strengthen my hands.” They ended up finishing the wall in 52 days. At the end of Numbers chapter 14, they tried to take the land, the people were ready now, but they were too late. Am I doing things in my time or in God’s time? Am I looking at things in my eyes or through God’s eyes? I love how God uses His people to accomplish His plan, in His time; and also how He wants to use us to do unexplainable things so only He can get the glory.
APPLICATION: This 2013, do you want to see what YOU can do? Any unsaved person can do that. Or do you want to see what GOD can do through you!!
Thank you for being a part of the Route 66 Challenge. Thanks for reading, and you have a blessed day!
In Christ,
Jeff Herrold
NAME: Jeff Herrold
WHEN YOU GOT SAVED: 5 yrs old
FAVORITE BIBLE VERSE: 2 Corinthians 12:9
FAMILY: Holly (wife), Bella 5, Riley 3, Easton 7months
OCCUPATION: Farmer
MINISTRY INVOLVEMENT AT VBC: Sunday School, Children’s Church, King’s Kids
DREAM VACATION: Israel
HOBBIES: No hobbies, have children