Eleven Days…

Eleven Days… Eleven Days That Became Thirty-Eight Years Taking God at His Word, Possessing His Promises, and Living by His Wisdom Scripture: Deuteronomy 1:2; Joshua 11:15; Numbers 32:1–23; Deuteronomy 4:6–9; 1 Peter 3:15 Message Summary This message emphasizes the devastating consequences of unbelief and the wonderful blessings of trusting, treasuring, and obeying God's Word. What should have been an eleven-day journey from Horeb to Kadesh-barnea became part of a forty-year wilderness experience because Israel allowed their circumstances to become more influential than God's promises. The problem wasn't that God failed to keep His Word. The problem was that His people failed to believe it. Their unbelief produced disobedience, discouragement, unnecessary suffering, and consequences that affected the next generation. Through Joshua's leadership and the distribution of the promised land, we discover that God has a predetermined purpose for His people. Just as He assigned Israel's inheritance, He graciously distributes spiritual gifts and responsibilities throughout the body of Christ. Our calling is not to compete with one another or compare our assignments, but to faithfully serve Him with what He has entrusted to us. The commitment of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh teaches us that receiving our own inheritance does not release us from our responsibility to help others. Although their families were settled east of the Jordan, their fighting men crossed over to help their brethren possess the land. We're not here merely to enjoy what God has given us; we're here to help others experience His goodness as well. Deuteronomy 4:6 reveals that God's Word is