The Plan Is Still The Plan

Remember when the Israelites sent the spies into the land God had promised to give them?

Here they were in the wilderness.

After unbelievable miracles God led them out of Egypt.

The memory of the parting of the Red Sea alone should have given them great confidence.

But no.

The spies came back.

Here's the majority report:

Numbers 13:31-33 (ESV) "Then the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are."

So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height.

And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them."

Here's the minority report from the other spies, Joshua and Caleb:

Numbers 14:6-10 (ESV) And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, "The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land.

If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones..."

Having confidence that God will do what He promised to do can make you unpopular.

Maybe you know all about that.

But there wasn't a stoning.

God was in control as He always is.

In the end, because of their unbelief, God sent the whole nation into the wilderness.

For 40 years of wandering.

All of the Israelites.

Even faithful Joshua and Caleb.

God used these two men as spiritual leaders all of that time.

That generation passed from the scene.

But...

Numbers 14:38 (ESV) "Of those men who went to spy out the land, only Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive."

God honored their faithfulness by using them as the key leaders when Israel finally headed into the Promised Land.

What an adventure!

God used them in many great victories.

As Henry Blackaby writes....

"The decisions and disobedience of others will not cancel God's will for you. Other people's actions will affect you, but no one can prevent what God wants to do in and through you."

For me, those words are like fresh water to a thirsty spirit.