Sunday Upper Room Fellowship message by Daniel Murungi
Shalom. The exhortation this week has been "Trust God". But what happens when we do not trust God?
This is what God said to Moses at the end of his ministry.
Num.20.12 - But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."
Num.20.13 - These were the waters of Meribah, where the Israelites quarreled with the LORD and where he showed himself holy among them.
This must have been a difficult conversation for Moses to have with his friend God. But the Word of God says that righteousness and justice are the foundations of God's throne. Because He loves, He judges all things in accordance to His Word and will.
Paul says this to Timothy.
2Tim.2:5 - Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor's crown unless he competes according to the rules.
No crown, unless you follow the rules.
Now, God judged Moses and Aaron for their choice to please the people rather than honor Him before them. They failed to trust God and for that, they could not enter the promised land.
What about the people who cause them to sin in this way? The stubborn people of Israel? They died in the wilderness.
Deut.1.32 - In spite of this, you did not trust in the LORD your God,
Deut.1.33 - who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.
Deut.1.34 - When the LORD heard what you said, he was angry and solemnly swore:
Deut.1.35 - "Not a man of this evil generation shall see the good land I swore to give your forefathers,
Deut.1.36 - except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the LORD wholeheartedly."
Deut.1.37 - Because of you the LORD became angry with me also and said, "You shall not enter it, either.
Deut.1.38 - But your assistant, Joshua son of Nun,
will enter it. Encourage him, because he will lead Israel to inherit it.
Deut.1.39 - And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad-they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it.
Deut.1.40 - But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea. "
Deut.1.41 - Then you replied, "We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, as the LORD our God commanded us." So every one of you put on his weapons, thinking it easy to go up into the hill country.
Deut.1.42 - But the LORD said to me, "Tell them, 'Do not go up and fight, because I will not be with you. You will be defeated by your enemies.'"
I pray God will open your heart and show you the way to go, and enable you to honor Him, even when it's hard and all the world is against you. As a minister of God, may you honor Him even when it makes no sense and your team does not agree with you. May you find strength to choose God always.
Shalom.
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