Gratitude Mixed with Faith Should Equal Obedience

There is the possibility that some of us who are reading this devotional have been in the position of having lost, missed, or even resisted opportunities given to us by God. God had miraculously and decisively brought His people out of Egypt with the expectation that they would out of their faith and gratitude believe and obey Him. Their deliverance from bondage was for a divine purpose that was already prepared for them to walk in it. After eighteen months of God proving Himself to be faithful and capable of meeting their every need they came to a place called Kadesh Barnea. It was the last place of testing by God before they would enter into the experience of God’s promised blessing to them. It should have been the place of “YES LORD”, but it became the place of “NO LORD”. It was here that their “NO LORD” resulted not just in missed opportunity and blessing, but 38 years of frustration and struggle and marked them as the generation that died in the wilderness unfulfilled because they said “NO LORD” because they lacked faith to obey Him.

This account is given to us by God not just to know, but was written to us for an example and
our learning that we would not make the same mistakes in our walk with God (I Corinthians
10:6; 11) and (Romans 15:4). Just like the Jews being delivered out of Egypt by God for blessing and purpose in this world we to have the same testimony assigned to us to obey God for the life and service that will bring Him glory in this world that He has placed us in.

Open doors of blessing and opportunity from God do not always stay open indefinitely and they are always on His timing and according to His will not ours. There is such a thing that He
does not want to be disappointed continually by disobedient professing children of God. The
reasons they missed the open door are the same challenges we face today:
1. They were infected by voices of doubt and discouragement. When God has been
personally faithful to us He means for it to be proof more powerful than any negative voice that
gets into our ear. “God is faithful…..” (Deuteronomy 7:9; I Corinthians 1:9).
2. They expected blessing and opportunity without any opposition. A few saw giants in the
land and others just heard it, but the paralysis of their faith caused them to fear man more than
God. Big opposition is big opportunity to see God’s faithful power to keep His Word of Promise
to His people. “He will not fail nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6).
3. They did not see or respond to the fact that “NO” to God’s expectations repeatedly is a
form of rebellion against His authority over our lives. To God their “NO” to Him revealed they
were a “stiff necked people” who would not hallow Him as they should and as a result they lost
the experience and privilege of His blessing

Prayer: Father in Heaven, please grant me glimpses of Your will for me so that I may walk
confidently wherever You expect me to go and do whatever You expect me to do for Your glory.
By Pastor Wayne Cockrell