As I prepare to walk into this season of promise, I can’t help but to feel a bit overwhelmed. I’m looking around at all the things that I need to do…the very things that will make this endeavor successful…and I don’t know if I have what it takes…
“Lord, I don’t know if I’m prepared. I have never done anything like this before. I feel like a fraud.”
Have you ever felt this way before? Have you ever sought to step into a new season, only to feel unauthentic or unprepared?
I’m not going to lie, for a moment, I almost threw in the towel. I almost gave up on the promise that God had given me…simply because I thought that I was unprepared to receive it. But, as I continued to seek God and ask Him for strength, I realized that this is a natural part of the process.
We will not feel prepared for our promise.
This is something that we must understand, as we seek to walk into the promises that God has given us. Why? Because if we don’t understand this, we may get overwhelmed and turn back.
As I thought of my own journey and my current state of seeking promise, the story of the Israelites came to mind.
In the book of Numbers, we read that as the Israelites approached the promised land, the Lord instructed them to send 12 men to explore the land. And when they returned, 10 out of the 12 scouts shared an unfavorable report.
They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” (Numbers 13: 27-29 NIV)
That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.” (Numbers 14: 1-4 NIV)
The Israelites' choice to accept the bad report caused them to lose their access to the promised land.
The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them? (Numbers 14:11 NIV)
So tell them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: In this wilderness your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. (Numbers 14: 28-30)
Joshua and Caleb were the only two scouts that returned with the faith and determination needed to receive their promise.
Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14: 6-9 NIV)
We need faith to receive our promise.
We cannot make the mistake of believing that we will feel ready. We can’t not make the mistake of believing that we will feel prepared. Because the truth is that we will not feel ready or prepared. Like the Israelites, we will stand at the edge of the promised land and feel overwhelmed and unprepared. But at that time, we can’t lose faith. We can’t turn back. We must be like Caleb and Joshua. We must look at the giants in the promised land and say, “The Lord is with us, and with His help, we will conquer them.”
We are prepared for our promise, whether we know it or not.
The Israelites felt like they weren’t ready…they felt unprepared, but what they didn’t understand is that the Lord would never put them in a situation that they weren’t prepared for.
When Pharaoh finally let the people go, God did not lead them along the main road that runs through Philistine territory, even though that was the shortest route to the Promised Land. God said, “If the people are faced with a battle, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led them in a roundabout way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. (Exodus 13: 17-18)
God specifically led the Israelites in a roundabout way so that they would be prepared for battle. So, it wasn’t that they weren’t ready, it was that they didn’t believe they were ready.
God prepares us through the detours of life.
Those times when our plans are altered…those times when we have to wait…those times when we wish we could just move to the next season of our lives. These are the times when God is preparing us for the promise that He has for us…the promise that we are praying and believing for.
So, when we get to that point…when we get to the edge of our promised land…we have no reason to worry. We have no reason to fear. Why? Because we have been prepared for promise.
The question is will we believe it?
I have come to a place of understanding as I seek God on the edge of my promise. Because, He has prepared me. He has taken me through the fire, through the storm, in a roundabout way. He has ensured that I have everything I need. I don’t have to wonder whether or not I’m ready, I just have to believe it.
Will you?
Will you trust that God has taken you on a specific journey for a specific purpose? Will you trust that He has prepared you, refined you, and given you everything that you need?
Make your decision today. Don’t focus on the giants. Don’t focus on your own qualifications. Fix your eyes on your Father…your maker…the creator of the heavens and the earth. He goes before you. He will never leave your side. You are prepared for your promise. Choose to walk in it today.
I look up to the mountains—does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber. Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps. The Lord himself watches over you! The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade. The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon at night. The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever. (Psalms 121 NLT)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for choosing me. Thank you for loving me. And thank you for the promises that you have given me. Today, I have been reminded that you are a good Father, and you would never lead me into something that I am not prepared for. So Father, today, I am making the decision to trust you. I will trust you in the middle of the uncertainty. I will trust you in the middle of my feelings of doubt. I will trust you, Father, because I know that you have given me everything that I need to be successful, and I know that you will never leave my side. Thank you in advance for leading me to the place that you have prepared for me. I love you, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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