Don't Give Up March 3, 2016

⁴ But to this day the Lord has not given you a heart to understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.  Deuteronomy 29:4 ESV

The Israelites had recently been witness to plagues, miracles, and Red Sea partings that were all engineered by Elohim in the effort to free them from the bondage and mistreatment of Egypt.  A mighty God had arranged not only their freedom, but a freedom that included untold riches from the Egyptian people.  Yet within a few weeks, the Israelites were crafting an idol out of gold to be their object of worship.

Forty years of desert wandering was the consequence of this decision.  Forty years of sand.  Forty years of a nomadic existence.  Before reading today's verse, I had always viewed this time as punishment.  Sort of an extended time out.  A sand-filled "you're grounded" discipline.  But it was much more than that.

God was giving the Jewish people a time to get their hearts right.  In His infinite wisdom He knew what it would take to purge the world from the Jews hearts and minds.  Sure their actions may have changed as a result of having to drink gold-laced water.  Perhaps a few years of desert wandering would have affected behavior, but God wishes for a transformation of the heart.  

The generation that had spent their lives in the world of Egyptian gods and goddesses were conditioned to a world view that was in opposition to the demands of the One True God.  They had grown accustomed to Ra, Isis, and Horus.  Miracles and marvels made temporary believers.  However, God knew that a period of seasoning and tempering were necessary to make the foundational heart changes.

There may be areas in our lives that have become so accustomed to a certain sin or pattern of behavior that it will take an extended period of desert detention for foundational change to take place.  Forty years may not be required, but forty days or even forty weeks.  Eventually that change will happen if we are sincere, consistent, and fervent in our will to change.  If we cry out to God, kneel in prayer, and humbly approach Him, that transformation will take place.  Don't get discouraged.  Don't allow Satan to tell you it's never going to happen.  It will.  Have faith.  Persevere.