Devotional - March 23, 2004

In the first three chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses summarizes the past forty years and in the fourth chapter he instructs the people how to take possession of the Promised Land. Perhaps no other four words says as much about those forty years then the words, "where can we go?"

The Israelites weren't but a few days out of Egypt before they found themselves backed up to the Red Sea with Pharaoh's army in front of them with swords drawn. It was an impossible situation, but God made a way for them to escape.

What options did the Israelites have? They could fight, but they had no weapons. They could surrender, hope they'd be spared and then returned to lives of servitude for the rest of their lives and their children's? They could run, but they had no place to go. It seemed there was only two options afforded them. However, they failed to look to God to expand their options, something God did in spite of their lack of faith.

So it is in our times of testing. When we're up against a wall and we have no place to turn, what do we do? What other option do we have but to surrender? When you stop and think about it, the Israelites were forced to trust God in the desert. They didn't choose to be there. They just didn't have enough faith to enter the Promised Land.

Do you feel your back is up against a wall and you're certain you'll die there unless someone intervenes? If so, I have good news for you. God has a purpose for you being there. Listen to David's wisdom in Psalm 66:10-12: "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."

Is it too much to imagine that God has a place of abundance prepared for you when you get through your desert of testing and survived your refining fiery trials? Some people think that place of abundance is in heaven waiting for them after they die. But God wants us to occupy the Promised Land on this side of glory.

Yes, God wants us to be victorious in this life, not the next because victory in heaven is a done deal, a no-brainer. In this one however, faith is the only way we can survive. If we are to be victorious today, we must be strong and courageous and stand our ground. We must look to God to deliver us and trust Him to do what He's promised to do. Winning requires that we face our fears, trust God to deliver us and to equip us with weapons to wage war under His banner.

Do you feel backed up against circumstances that have you cornered? Are you fearful of losing your life and have lost all hope that you'll ever be rescued? That could be a good thing if it forces you to cry out to God, the only One who can deliver you. After all, haven't you proven that you'll never ask God to help you unless you've lost your options?