One of the mistakes we make in following Christ is thinking that the opportunity will always be there. I have frequent conversations with individuals who are weighing the pros and cons of following God thinking they will always be able to say yes later. We do this all the time in the American Church. We have this idea that we can hear from God and figure out if we want to or when we will act. Check out this passage in Numbers. The nation of Israel just decided not to enter the promise land that God promised to give them, and God has told them that they will now wonder the wilderness.
When Moses reported the LORD’s words to all the Israelites, the people were filled with grief. Then they got up early the next morning and went to the top of the range of hills, “Let’s go,” they said, we realize that we have sinned but now we are ready to enter the land that the LORD has promised us.
But Moses said, why are you now disobeying the LORD’s orders to return to the wilderness? It won’t work. Do not go up into the land now. You will only be crushed by your enemies because the LORD is not with you. When you face the Amalekites and Canaanites in battle you will be slaughtered. The LORD will abandon you because you have abandoned the LORD.
But the people defiantly pushed ahead toward the hill country even though neither Moses nor the Ark of the LORD’s Covenant left the camp. Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in those hills came down and attacked them and chased them back as far as Hormah.
The opportunity was gone! You might say, what about grace? They had repented! The grace of God was shown in that he didn’t destroy every one of them! They never had another chance. They died over the next years in the wilderness.
Don’t miss it. When God leads act! Don’t spend your life in the wilderness wondering what might have been if only you had trusted God for the impossible.
Christopherhigh.com 