Out of the wilderness into the promise.

 Hebrews 3:

⁵ Now Moses was faithful in all His house as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken later; ⁶ but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house—whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

⁷ Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says,

The Peril of Unbelief

¹² Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. ¹³ But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end, ¹⁵ while it is said,

¹⁶ For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? ¹⁷ And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? ¹⁸ And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? ¹⁹ So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

The writer of Hebrews is encouraging us in faith. It is vital that we understand that our faith is in Christ. It then, is not a matter of the size or amount of our faith, for with faith the size of a mustard seed we can move mountains. What matters is keeping our focus on Christ, the object of our faith. Philippians 4:13 says :  I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Two days ago we looked at the verses where Jesus compares us to branches attached to Him the vine. He said in Him we bear much fruit apart from Him we can do nothing.

The writer, here though, is warning us about the peril of lack of faith. He uses the example of the nation of Israel not entering into the promised land and wandering in the wilderness until an entire generation had passed. That account is found in Numbers 13 and 14. Some of the men who had gone into the promised land convinced the people that they would not be able to take possession of the land, the inhabitants were too powerful. They were placing their confidence in their own abilities and they were right, in their own strength they would have been unable to possess the land. But it was God who had brought them to that point. The same God who had brought them out of Egypt by His miraculous hand, the same God who had parted the Red Sea so they could cross on dry land, then brought the waters back over the Egyptian army. Their lack of faith in God caused them to be disobedient to Him, turning away from all that God promised them. Their disobedience cost them, 40 years in the wilderness rather than in God's promise.

It's easy for us from this side to see that they should have trusted God. After all, He had been present with them and performed miracles in their midst. What of us though. What is or has the cost of lack of faith been in our own lives. You see, fear, doubt, unbelief and anxiety are more than bad habits that we need to try to change. To the extent that we allow them to influence and control our actions and our lives they are sin. 

It has been said that fear is really believing more in the things we don't want than in what we do want. Fear is believing God is unable to do what He said He would do. It begins when we take our eyes off of Him and on to ourselves. It is indeed a fearful thing to face our trials in our own strength. If fear, doubt, unbelief or anxiety have a hold on you right now, don't let guilt or condemnation rise up to defeat you.

Romans 8:1 says :  Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

That's the answer to your feelings of guilt and condemnation, to be in Christ. As we center ourselves in and on Christ our faith grows. Hebrews 12:2 says we should be  ^"fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith..." The very object of our faith.

So if fear, doubt, unbelief or anxiety are things that you struggle with fix your mind on Christ Jesus. Do what the nation of Israel failed to do. Remember all the things God has done for you, His miraculous deliverence. Remember and recite His promises from His word. Psalms 27,37 and 91 are some of the most encouraging to me.  Most of all look at Him. Remain close to Him.

 Deuteronomy 31:6 says :   Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the Lord your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you.”

Go with Him into the promise He has for you. Don't allow your fear to keep you in the wilderness for one more day. God is able!