Distrust, disobedience, discontentment (Deuteronomy 1:32)

Day 6: Distrust, disobedience, discontentment

 

 

 

 

“But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 1:32).

 

 

 

                Those who believe in God obey His word.  And those who obey God's word believe in Him.  The more we obey God's word, the more we experience His guidance, leading us to have even greater faith in Him.  When we obey God, we come to know Him more as our God.  Those who do not believe in God disobey His word.  And those who disobey God's word do not believe in Him.  The more we disobey God's word, the less we experience His guidance, leading us to dwell more in disbelief.  When we disobey God, we become more ignorant not only about God's nature but also about ourselves, making us prone to sin more against God in our hearts, driven by arrogance and pride.  The wicked fruits of those who sin against God are disobedience and discontentment.  In other words, the sinful fruits of disbelief are disobedience and discontentment.

 

                In Deuteronomy 1:32, the Bible speaks of the Israelites who did not believe in God.  Due to their disbelief, they disobeyed God's command.  Although God had commanded them to go up and possess the land of Canaan, saying "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged" (v. 21), the Israelites did not delight in going up, and they opposed God's command (v. 26).  They not only resisted God's command but also poured out their complaints to Him.  They harbored resentment towards God.  In a word, their complaint was that “The Lord hates us” (v. 27).  So, they claimed that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt just to hand them over to the hands of the Amorites to destroy them.  The Israelites truly expressed absurd thoughts to God.  If God truly hated them, why would He have delivered them from Egypt?  Clearly, God loved the Israelites and saved them, but the Israelites thought that God hated them.  Why did the Israelites think this way?  I believe the root cause was their disbelief.  In other words, because the Israelites did not believe in God, and because they disobeyed His command, they could not feel God's love.  And because they could not feel God's love, they could only feel discontentment.  Ultimately, disbelief bore the bitter fruits of disobedience and discontentment, and it led to a numbness where they could not feel God's love.  Furthermore, the Israelites not only blamed God alone in their discontentment but also blamed the twelve spies who returned from scouting the land of Canaan.  Aside from Joshua and Caleb, who gave a faithful report, the other ten spies gave a report of disbelief.  The essence of their complaint was ‘They have made us lose heart' (v. 28).  I can't help but think, when God commanded, “Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (v. 21), if they had simply said "yes" and obeyed, would this have happened?  Instead, the Israelites devised and implemented a plan, saying, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to” (v. 22).  Why did they go through with this plan, leading to the sinful fruit of blaming the ten spies who gave a report of disbelief?  The reason is they did not believe in God.  In other words, the Israelites did not believe in the God who was going before them (v. 30).  Therefore, they sent men ahead (v. 22).  And because they did not believe that God would fight for them, the Israelites, in their fear of having to fight against the Amorites, blamed God in their fear and also blamed their brethren, the spies.  In the end, blame, as a sin, is also the bitter fruit of disbelief, which is not believing in God.

 

                We must believe in God.  We should believe in the God who has rescued us from the kingdom of Satan, like Egypt, and is leading us to the promised land, His kingdom.  In our faith in God, we must also obey His commandments.  When we obey God's commandments, we can clearly feel the love that God bestows upon us.  And when we feel this love from God, we can obediently follow His commandments with boldness and without fear, not hesitating.  We can obey God's commandments boldly with faith, believing in the God who goes before us and fights on our behalf.  Furthermore, with faith in the God who has embraced us in our journey and led us to this point, just as a man carries his son, we can continue to obey God's commandments and move forward.  And we can move forward in obedience to God's word with a heart filled with gratitude, finding satisfaction in being embraced by our loving God and Father.  Are we truly obeying God's commandments with a heart of gratitude, stemming from our belief in God?  Are we truly finding contentment in God alone and obeying His commandments?

 

 

 

 

 

Desiring a life of faith, obedience, and contentment,

 

 

 

 

 

James Kim

(While guarding against disbelief in my heart)