They Refused - Deuteronomy 1:26-27

 

But you rebelled against the command of the Lord your God and refused to go in. You complained in your tents and said, ‘The Lord must hate us. That’s why he has brought us here from Egypt—to hand us over to the Amorites to be slaughtered. Deuteronomy 1:26-27 (NLT)

I am God’s child and He blesses me, but I don’t always recognize it. I want a million dollars to drop in my lap, but God’s blessings never look like that!

Sometimes they don’t look like blessings at all.

Recently, I did something that some would call stupid: I prayed to ask the Lord for humility. Why would I do such a thing?

Here’s why, the Bible shows us over and over that the Lord blesses humility. Verses like James 4:10, “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up,” and 1 Peter 5:5, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble:" these are clear. There are loads of verses about humility and blessings. The book of Proverbs even says that humility is linked to financial wealth.

I have a hard time being humble. 

But do I really want to go around all of the time struggling with my pride? No, of course not. I don’t want to be a halfling believer. I want to be all in. And to be all in, I must be humble.

So, I prayed, and still pray for humility.

Recently, I made a decision that cost my family and me thousands of dollars. And I’m still not out of the woods. I was trying to do a good thing, but I missed some of the signs that told me it might not be wise.

When the result dumped on me with a thud, I felt so beaten up. And I had a huge attitude problem to go with it. Anger, confusion, shame.

But not a whole lot of humility at first.

As the process rolled on, I realized how much my pride had been hurt.

And then, I remembered praying for humility. The Lord was blessing me, and I didn’t see it. He was showing me the condition of my heart. What a treasure! Hey, I’ve spent much of my life denying the condition of my heart, not being honest about what God wanted me to see.

He keeps reminding me He is in the process of working on me. When I don’t want to see the truth, He has a way of putting it in my face so I can’t miss it.

What’s this have to do with Deuteronomy 1:26-27? Well, I can be like those wilderness Hebrews who saw God work miraculous blessings over and over, and just as they were about to enjoy a land flowing with milk and honey, they rebelled. They called the thing that God planned for them a curse. They had no fear of God and they accused Him.

He took the promised land away from them and gave it to their children.

What about me? Do I do that? Does He bring me right up to the blessing, only to have me refuse it.

I must slow way down and think about that. I know that I have treated the Lord like that. I also am encouraged with my growth. I can see His work.

So now, I must ask God for wisdom. I must ask Him to reveal to me how I am like those stubborn wilderness wanderers. And I must also ask Him to encourage me, to show me how I’ve grown. I want to walk in the light with my eyes wide open. I want to see where I am falling short. And I want to recognize His blessings and be grateful!

I must surrender. He is God. I am his servant.

Lord, I want to be a humble man. Powerfully humble. Not shameful. I want to serve you with my whole heart. I want to be convicted when I sin. I want to confess it to you and eagerly accept your love and forgiveness. I want to hear your correction and encouragement. Lord may you teach these things to me today. May I follow you and your leading. Blessed be the Name of the Lord.