In the desert in Sinai, many years earlier, a census had been taken of the nation of Israel in preparation for entering the promised land, but the people had failed to take hold of God’s promise. After all the years of wandering in the wilderness, they are now once more on the threshold of God’s promise and another census is taken.

The unfaithful generation had passed away by this point. Only Caleb and Joshua survived, along with Moses, to be counted in this second census. Yet, despite all that the people had endured in the wilderness, the years of wandering, the hardships and the challenges, the number of people counted in the census hardly changed between the first and the second.

God had preserved his people. He had gone with them and ahead of them. He had led them in safety. He had been merciful despite their many sins and rebellions. As he had said he would, he brought a great nation to the land of promise.

God is faithful and he keeps his promises. The promise that God made to the Patriarchs all those centuries before might have been delayed because of Israel’s unfaithfulness, but it had not been forgotten. God never fails us or forgets us. We may find ourselves in what feels like a wilderness, but if we will turn our eyes to the Lord and follow him as he leads, we will once again find ourselves in the place of his promise.

next devotional >>

 

 

NEWBOLD COMMUNITY CHURCH