Day 68 – March 9, 2021
Scripture: Numbers 13-14, 2 Timothy 3 Wise to Salvation 12 spies go into the land, 10 were bad and 2 were good. Caleb and Joshua declare the land good and trust that God would overcome the Canaanites in order to deliver the land to the Israelites. The 10 other spies complain, grumble, doubt and despair, and declare, “send us back to Egypt.” Of course, we know what happens. The people of that generation don’t get to enter the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb get the privilege and their children. Those who witnessed the incredible power of God on display in Egypt, aren’t going to get the opportunity to go into the Promised Land. At a certain point, one would have to wonder if that generation would ever fully understand the power of God? God has delivered them miraculously out of the grip of Egypt, provided for them every step of the way, and now they still doubt, grumble and fear. What’s up with that? Paul’s letter to Timothy feels in a way, as we read these text side by side, like a commentary of where evil takes us. “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God –having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.” 2 Timothy 3:1-5 I can easily call the generation foolish for failing to believe in God’s power to deliver them into the Promised Land. But I can also look in the mirror and recognize a hard-hearted person who has been at time, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, slanderous and more. Paul’s teaching, is to reject this, and it’s a call to the scriptures. It’s why we are doing devotional reading each and every day. We know the Scripture are for teaching, correcting and training in righteousness, so that all of us, all of God’s people, we might be equipped for what is ahead. Whatever the next step is, we want to take it. We are being equipped for Good. Jordan
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AuthorJordan Ickes, Minister of Etna Green Church of Christ. Archives
December 2022
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