If you fear the LORD and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the LORD your God—good!  1 Samuel 12:14

God rescued the Israelites from Egyptian slavery and brought them through the wilderness to a wonderful land, one described as “flowing with milk and honey.”  However, there was one problem. It was inhabited by giant warriors. But rather than trusting God and taking their land, they rebelled out of fear. When the going got tough, they got going… the wrong way.  Joshua and Caleb, two of God’s chosen men, pleaded with Israel, “Do not rebel against the Lord and do not fear the people of the land. For they will be our prey” (Numbers 14:9). They saw the fear of the Israelites the way God saw it, as rebellion. And that rebellion caused almost the whole nation of Israel to miss out on the Promised Land.  When we go with the flow and take the path of least resistance we are often rebelling against God’s authority. Following God won’t always be easy. In fact, it often leads you to take big risks. But with big risks, come big rewards.  So don’t miss out on your Promised Land because of fear. God wants us to follow Him in spite of our fear. And it is because of our fear, that we are able to learn how to truly lean on God, trusting Him with everything.

Dear Father, I know You want me to get out of my comfort zone. So please help me to get going the right way on Your path. I also ask that You give me the strength and courage to follow You and to stop avoiding the opportunities You have given me to reach out to those around me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.