Take another Lap around the Wilderness

Joshua 14 : 7 - 11, I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.' And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. NKJV

Joshua said, "But I wholly followed the Lord." Nevertheless, even though Joshua followed the Lord with his whole heart, and even though he entered into the Promised Land, he wasn't allowed to stay there because the children of Israel were not with him. He had to wander through the wilderness another forty years because the other spies brought an evil report to Moses and to the people about the inhabitants of the land. 

The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and he tells us to run the race that is set before us with endurance. Nevertheless, unbelief caused the children of Israel to believe an evil report and to ignore the promise of God to give them the land. Consequently, they wandered through the wilderness for forty years. However, not only did the children of Israel remain in the wilderness, but so did Joshua and Caleb. 

It doesn't seem right that these two men had faith and took God at His Word, yet they still had to wander in the wilderness with the unbelieving. Even so, God honored the faith of Joshua and Caleb by allowing them to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land shortly after the death of Moses. God didn't allow the unbelief of Israel to keep Him from honoring Joshua and Caleb's faith and faithfulness. 

Like Joshua and Caleb, you may be living your life for Christ and standing on God's promises; however, you may have loved-ones that are not. Because of someone else's unbelief, you're waiting on God to fulfill His Word in your life. Nevertheless, for their sake, He is delaying the fulfillment of His promise to you; this may be the reason why the Lord had the scripture written in Joshua 14, and it may be the reason He told me to share it with you today. He wants you to hold on "in faith" like Joshua did; after everything has been set back in order, you will see the salvation of the Lord. 

Have you been asking the Lord why He is requiring you to make another lap around the wilderness, but you're not getting an answer from Him? It may be that God wants you to remain faithful and obedient until the flesh or unbelief in others dies. When the time is right, He can work through you to lead them (family or friends) into their new life in Christ (The Promised Land). Therefore, don't grow weary in doing well, for in due season, you will reap if you don't faint. Continually encourage yourself in the Lord by remembering His faithfulness to Joshua and Caleb, who had to wait an additional forty years. Let me leave you today with a passage from Hebrews 10: 

Hebrews 10: 35 - 39, Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: "For yet a little while, and He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back, my soul has no pleasure in him." But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul. NKJV

The next time you have to take another lap around the wilderness, just tell yourself that you're one lap closer to seeing the fulfillment of the promise in your life.

Walking by Faith, 

Pastor Asa Dockery