And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. -Numbers 13:23-25 (KJV)
Consider for a moment all of the choices which lie before us on any given day. We daily have the usual choices – what to wear, what to eat, which TV channel to watch, or what radio station to listen to in the car on the way to work. I’m dating myself here because no doubt countless people aren’t using the radio anymore. Instead they have satellite radio or a sophisticated IPOD on which they have downloaded their favorite music collection. Thanks to modern technology the choices we make every day is becoming more and more complicated. Trying to keep up with it all can make one’s head swim.
In the midst of all these choices we also have to choose what sorts of attitudes we will put into practice. Will we be upbeat, happy, encouraged, looking on the bright side of our situations, or will we choose to be morose, sorrowful, and negative? The choice is ours – every day. The Word of God shows us in the book of Numbers how the Lord sent spies into the Promised Land to look it over and determine how and when they should enter in to claim the land as the Lord had instructed them. For an entire 40 days the spies searched the land. During this period they had ample time to consider the right choice, which was to trust God and move forward, even though the odds appeared stacked against them. Unfortunately, only two of the men, Joshua and Caleb, brought back a positive report. The other ten refused to believe they could overcome, even with the Lord’s help. As a result of this, the people rebelled against God and ended up wandering through the wilderness for 40 years – one year for every day they had explored the land.
No doubt you are facing a number of difficult situations in your life right now. Remember we have the choice as to what our attitude will be. Will we trust God, move forward in faith, and claim the victory the Lord intends for us to have, or will we cower in defeat? The Lord has always called His people to walk forward in victory. We have the victory in Jesus Christ. Ours is to rise up in faith and claim it.
Set aside time to commune with the Lord every day. Seek God’s help in whatever attitude you desire to change. You will be surprised at what the Lord will do in your life.
No comments:
Post a Comment