Wait Means "No" March 10, 2016

³⁹ When Moses told these words to all the people of Israel, the people mourned greatly. ⁴⁰ And they rose early in the morning and went up to the heights of the hill country, saying, “Here we are. We will go up to the place that the Lord has promised, for we have sinned.” ⁴¹ But Moses said, “Why now are you transgressing the command of the Lord, when that will not succeed? ⁴² Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, lest you be struck down before your enemies. ⁴³ For there the Amalekites and the Canaanites are facing you, and you shall fall by the sword. Because you have turned back from following the Lord, the Lord will not be with you.” ⁴⁴ But they presumed to go up to the heights of the hill country, although neither the ark of the covenant of the Lord nor Moses departed out of the camp. ⁴⁵ Then the Amalekites and the Canaanites who lived in that hill country came down and defeated them and pursued them, even to Hormah.  Numbers 14:39-45 ESV

Yes, much of the Book of Numbers if filled with "begats".  And much of the Pentateuch concerns itself with sacrifices, laws, and rituals, but beneath those family trees and regulations there is the story of a real people with flaws, warts, and issues which parallel our lives today.

In this passage from Numbers, Moses has just told the Jewish people that the current generation will not enter the Promised Land because there were frightened of the current inhabitants and threatened to stone Moses and Aaron and return to Egypt where they lived as slaves.  Now when they hear of their punishment, a different song is on their lips.

"Uh-oh, God it mad at us.  Forty years in the desert!!  We had better saddle up and attack the "ites"."  The problem is that God has just told them that entry into the promised land was no longer an option.  It would be forty years before any Israelite set foot in the "land flowing with milk and honey".

"No so," say the stiff-necked people.  "We will attack regardless of Your word."  Disobedience in reaction to punishment caused by disobedience.

Throughout our lives God will open a window of opportunity for a period of time.  This job, that ministry.  If your disobedience causes you to miss an opportunity, God may close that window for you.  How foolhardy to try to force open what God has closed.  Going back may not be an option.  Opportunities lost may be just that, lost.

How important then it is that when God speaks, we are timely in our obedience.  A "not now" response to God may be a lost opportunity.  Telling God to wait may be tantamount to telling Him, "No."  A couple of  years ago Ridgecrest put out the call for a photographer to take pictures of members just before and after their baptism. I remember sitting in that service thinking that would be something I would enjoy and could be pretty good at doing.  But I waited a couple of weeks to contact the church office.  By then the position had been filled by someone else.  I have wondered what blessings I have missed by not acting quicker on that spiritual nudge.  Window closed.

When God speaks with clarity and you are sure of His direction- MOVE!  Don't wait.  Don't postpone.  Certainly don't say, "No."  It may be forty years before God provides you with that opportunity again.