Faithful Capsule: A failure to engage the promise of God is an act of disobedience.
Numbers 32
Crying to God is communicating with God. It is written, “…the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) The crying of the Israelites brought God down from His throne to deliver them from bondage.
It is written, “So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, …” (Exodus 3:8) Among the children of Israel, it was a different case for the children of Gad and the children of Reuben when they decided to settle at the east of Jordan. God promised much but they wanted less. The Bible recorded that they had a very great multitude of livestock and that prompted a request for a settlement in the region that is good for livestock.
The children of Gad and of Reuben approached Moses to state their desire, “…the country which the LORD defeated before the congregation of Israel, is a land for livestock, and your servants have livestock.’ Therefore they said, ‘If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants as a possession. Do not take us over the Jordan.’” (Numbers 32:4-5) It is clear that where there is livestock milk will flow, but not honey. God promised a land of milk and honey, but they resolved themselves to just milk. The land of milk was conveniently enough for them. It is good to be convenient, but when commitment in one’s convenient is slack one will consciously or unconsciously despise the word of God. A failure to engage the promise of God is an act of disobedience. God’s plan and promise was to take them to a land that flows with milk and honey, but getting to the land that flows with only milk got them out of God’s plan. Moses questioned their decision, “Now why will you discourage the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD has given them? (Numbers 32:7) Are you operating the mind of the children of Gad and Reuben engaging God’s plan and promise for your life? Deny convenience from clouding your commitment. God is a good God. It does not matter how we see things unfold itself, God has a better plan than we can always see. Get committed in your walk in the Lord and the grace to go conveniently shall come to place.
Prayer for today: Ask God for the grace to remain committed in every step you take in line with His word.