A Kingdom Of Perseverance

Read: Numbers 14:1-9

If the LORD is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the LORD, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. Numbers 14:8-9

IN WORD

“If the LORD is pleased with us . . .” That sounds awfully performance-oriented for a God of grace, but Caleb’s words turn out to be accurate. God was not pleased with the fear and complaining of the multitudes, so He waited to give the Promised Land to their children. The majority view neglected an essential fact about God’s processes: They aren’t instant.

We forget that too. When we become convinced of God’s plans for us, we expect to see them coming to pass immediately. They rarely do. The path from Egypt to Canaan was traumatic to begin with—it took ten plagues and a miraculous exodus to get free—and there were hardships immediately after freedom came. We forget that there might be dry seasons, obstacles, enemies, and severe temptations to complain about along the way. We easily lose heart, see the need for perseverance as a sign that something has gone wrong, and weaken in faith. All the while, God’s promise lies before us, waiting for those who have both faith and patience. Only this tandem of attitudes makes the inheritance possible (Hebrews 6:12). One or the other is not enough.

IN DEED

Perseverance is a necessary Kingdom attribute. The writer of Hebrews urged his readers not to shrink back in fear or unbelief, citing the spies’ report in the wilderness and the people’s response to it as the prime example of what not to do. The Kingdom is not a place of fear, complaining, or weak wills. It’s a place of encountering obstacles and opposition and overcoming them, of enduring to the end, of setting our sights on the inheritance and never swerving from it. Remember that in whatever you face today. Nothing can undo God’s plans for you if you anchor yourself in what you know to be true and refuse to be moved.

ADDITIONAL READING: Hebrews 6:12

He who perseveres makes every difficulty an advancement and every contest a victory.

CHARLES CALEB COLTON