Hungry Eyes, Foolish Hearts

I've been reading (slowly) through the book of Numbers. As far as I can remember, this is the first time I've made it all the way through. Just so you know, it really isn't ALL about numbers; there are many laws listed and several census taken during this time that are accounted for in the book, which can be tedious to read, but I'm learning to go deeper. When we really pray for open minds and hearts to receive as we read these seemingly pointless details, it can happen!

My main eye-opening moment came when I was near the end of the book, where Moses and the Israelites were just about to cross the Jordan River. There were a few clans/tribes that asked to stay back, preferring to inherit the land they've just seen and scouted, rather than go on the promise land that God had been promising them for generations. The first guys that tried that cursed a whole generation of Israelites to wander the desert until that generation died off. What were these guys thinking??

The difference with this new group was they did promise to continue with everyone to ensure Israel did claim its land across the river, only then to return to the other side again. This was approved, but I was still kinda shocked. It made me think of me, and us, and this world - how we can't wait for God's best sometimes. We can witness His greatness and His provision, but when we see something good in our faces we can barely resist, rather than holding out for the best, which has been promised to us by the God of heaven. The God that never lies or exaggerates has intentions to "prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." (Jer 29:11)

This comes down to more than just patience and longsuffering, but to trust and have faith in God, and sacrifice of our own "wisdom" for His infallible foresight and knowledge. How do we get back on the faith train? I'm starting by reading more and more of what the Bible says about God. It's not just to read it and learn it, but to come to live it. Hard stuff for a finite, selfish girl that I am, but thankfully I'm not alone and I'm not expected to do it alone.