When God Says No

"I also pleaded with the Lord at that time, saying, 'O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as Yours? Let me, I pray, cross over and see the fair land that is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and Lebanon.' But the Lord was angry with me on your account, and would not listen to me; and the Lord said to me, 'Enough! Speak to Me no more of this matter. Go up to the top of Pisgah and lift up your eyes to the west and north and south and east, and see it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.'" -Deuteronomy 3.23-28

God has told Moses that He will not cross over into the the land because he hit the rock with his staff when God told him to speak to it. Moses' disobedience, and lack of faith, caused God to not allow Him to enter the land. Moses, however, has prayed for the people before, and God has relented from His anger and offered forgiveness and not destroyed them. So Moses prays to God, pleading with Him, to allow him to enter the land. But God refuses to listen, and tells him to speak no more of the matter.

Moses will not enter the land, but God will at least allow him see it. Aaron was never given this opportunity, but God will allow Moses. At this point Moses drops the matter, realizing that God's mind is made up, and he accepts the grace that is being extended to him. He charges Joshua to lead the people into the land, just as God has instructed.

Men, when God says "No" and tells you to drop it, do you? Later in scripture we'll see an instance where the people didn't and the destruction and chaos that followed. But when God says let the matter be, do you continue to bring it up hoping He will change His mind? When God gives a definite "No" do you continue to pester Him, hoping you'll annoy Him into getting what you want? Do you say that "You didn't hear Him clearly" and continue to pursue the issue?

When God says no, let us accept it and move on. When God says no it's for a reason, and ultimately that reason is for our benefit. Everything that God does is for our good because it serves to make us holy, Christlike, people. When God says no, let us accept it, and move on, in pursuit of His will.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

God's got Your Back

"Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the one fighting for you." -Deuteronomy 3.22

Israel is preparing to cross the Jordan. Forty years earlier they were persuaded not to go by ten spies who brought back a report of giants. They acted in fear and spent four decades wandering the wilderness until the original generation had died. Now as this new generation is preparing to finally receive God's blessing, under the new leadership of Joshua, Moses reminds them to go courageously because God is fighting for them.

At the end of his recounting of the victories they have been given in the wilderness, Moses instructs the people to have courage as they enter the land, because God is going with them. God is going to fight for them and give them victory because He has promised this land to them. God will not abandon them now, just as He didn't at anytime in the past forty years. He has their back.

Men, when new trials and obstacles come what do you do? Do you shrink from the new challenge? Do you charge forward without stopping to think, hoping to take it by surprise? Do you trust yourself to get the job done? Or do you turn to God, giving the issue to Him, and allowing Him to direct the fight? Do you trust that God has your back?

It's very easy to forget how God has been there in the past when new issues arise, humans are very forgetful creatures. This is why we need to constantly remember the blessings and victories God has given. If we forget the past, it's much harder for it to be repeated in the future. We cannot allow ourselves to forget what God has done in the past, and at the same time, we cannot live in the past only talking about "The good old days".

God is still at work. The people were about to cross the Jordan and take possession of the land. They had seen God's wonders since leaving Egypt, but the best was still to come. They had to move forward courageously if they were to see them. To do that they had to remember what God had done, and trust Him to do it again, knowing God as with them.

Let us never forget what God has done. Let us always believe, and live like, God has our back.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor

Victory from God

"But the Lord said to me, 'Do not fear him, for I have delivered him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him just as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon.' So the Lord our God delivered Og also, king of Bashan, with all his people into our hand, and we smote them until no survivor was left. We captured all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we did not take from them: sixty cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan. All these were cities fortified with high walls, gates and bars, besides a great many unwalled towns. We utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city. But all the animals and the spoil of the cities we took as our booty." -Deuteronomy 3.2-7

As Moses recounts the wilderness journey, not only does he remind the people of the blessings God has provided in the wilderness, but also about the victories that God gave them. As they journeyed they faced rival nations who attacked Israel, seeking to destroy them, but each time God was with His people, and each time He gave them victory in battle.

Moses reminds the people that the victories came from God. It was not from the size of their army, the skill of their warriors, or the genius of their general. The victories in the wilderness came from God. The spoils of war were a result of God's presence with His people. There was no need to fear any enemy because God was with them, and so credit must be given to Him.

Men, who gets the credit for the victories in your life? Do you receive praise for your skill, knowledge, or determination? Or do you give the raise to God with the realization that none of that matters if victory, or success, isn't part of His plan? The victories in our life are only possible because God is with us, and if we stop giving Him the glory and credit that He deserves, the victories may very well end.

Let us always give praise to God for victory, and let us always remember them. The battles of the past are over, but they are not the last battles we will face. Let us remember how God has come through for us in the past, and let us trust Him to fight for us again in the future.

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor