A L M A C I A S

A LIFE WITHOUT ALWAYS TRUSTING IN GOD

The Old Testament was written so that we today would be able to learn from those who came before us. It is in the Old Testament that we are able to learn many lessons that are still so beneficial to us with what we go through today.

In the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14, we read about an incident that happened to the people of God. The Lord told Moses to select twelve men, one from each of the tribes of their fathers, so that they could go and spy out the land they were about to inherit. This land had been promised to them since the days of Abraham, and now that promise was about to be fulfilled. If you are familiar with this account I suspect you could only name two of the twelve spies that were sent to spy out the land, and those would be Joshua and Caleb. You probably have heard the names of all of the twelve spies who went, but the only ones that mean anything to us today are the two who never doubted the power of God.

In Numbers 13 and 14, twelve men selected by Moses were sent to spy out the land and bring back a report as to what they had seen. When they came back, not all of the twelve gave the same report. This is interesting since all of the men saw the same things, yet their reports were so different because the men were different. Not all of the twelve were men of great faith in God. How much faith we have in God will surely make a great difference as to how we see whatever comes our way in life. Joshua and Caleb saw a land that flowed with milk and honey, just as God had promised them, and they believed they could take it. The other ten men also saw a land flowing with milk and honey, but doubted that they would be able to take the land. They apparently forgot what God had told them previously, in Numbers 13:2, when He told them to go and search the land that He would give unto the children of Israel. God had promised these people the land and, even though they had to do their part to inherit it, they would not be alone ­ God would be on their side.

The problem with the ten who doubted they could take the land was that they were thinking of taking the land without God's help. The problem with many of us today, when trouble comes our way, is that we tend to think just like these people thought at that time, and we also forget that God is on our side. Let us be positive, as Joshua and Caleb were, and if what we are doing is the will of God, let us never forget that God is on our side and that is all the help we need.