After all the preparation in becoming a people group that center their worship around Yahweh God, the people of Israel are now at Kadesh-Barnea, on the border of Canaan, the Promised land. This is where the rubber meets the road. The people of God was able to worship God and obey His commandment in a period of protection and shelter. Now, the people were put to the test in face of hostility from the enemies in Canaan, can they continue to put their trust in God?

At Kadesh-Barnea, God allowed Israel to send spies into the land of Canaan (Deut. 1:22) and they selected the head of each tribe to be represented in the espionage team. The twelve spies chosen were different men from the leaders named in Numbers 1,2,7 and 10. They were probably the next generation of young leaders selected because they could endure the rigors and dangers involved in spying the land. We meet Caleb for the first time in 13:6. He and Joshua were the only members of the older generation to enter the Promised land. The rest of them died in the wilderness.

For forty days, the team surveyed through the land of Canaan, but they found nothing which God had not already told them. They already knew the names of the pagan nations that lived in the land (Genesis 15:18-21), and that it was a good and a rich land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8,17). It was the season of the grapes and the single cluster of grapes they brought back was not on the palm of their hands, but on the shoulders of more than one man. The grapes were huge! This land which Israel saw was exactly how God had promised them even before they left Egypt. After 400 years, God continue to be faithful to His people of His promise to them.

Were the spies encouraged by God’s faithfulness? For the 10 spies (less Caleb and Joshua) , absolutely not. Instead of focusing on the faithfulness of God, their eyes were tuned to the overwhelming challenges in the land. They saw in verse 28 that “the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large”. The descendants of the ancient giants, the sons of the Anak were there! They were formidable and impenetrable. The conclusion from the 10 spies? “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” (v31) In view of the challenges, they forgot that their God was far more formidable than the enemies they saw. They walked by sight and not by faith. As a result of their faithlessness, Israel had to wonder in the wilderness for forty years and these 10 spies could not enter Promised land.

Dear brothers and sisters, Canaan is a picture of the inheritance God has planned for each of His children today, the work He wants us to do and the places He wants us to occupy. The Lord has a perfect plan for each of His children, but we can claim these blessings only by faith and obedience. However, like the people of Israel centuries ago, many believers today walk by sight and not by faith, and therefore they fail to enjoy the good things God has prepared for them.

Like the action hero movies, we yearn for adventure stories with God, and indeed God will take us for adventures. In these faith adventures, there will be cliffs that we need to jump across, wilderness we need to hike through or tall waterfalls we need to take off from. However, God requires us to trust and obey Him, and as He promised, He will lead us through every season of our lives. Would you, my friend, allow Him to build deep faith through these adventures?

Pray: Dear God, help me to choose steadfastness in your goodness and might instead of mine. Please help me to live a life of faith rather than a life of sight. In Christ name I pray, amen.