{"id":9648,"date":"2015-01-28T08:02:18","date_gmt":"2015-01-28T14:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/?p=9648"},"modified":"2023-03-17T19:02:09","modified_gmt":"2023-03-18T00:02:09","slug":"in-the-word-on-wednesday-1-john-44","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.flandersfamily.info\/web\/2015\/01\/28\/in-the-word-on-wednesday-1-john-44\/","title":{"rendered":"Word on Wednesday: 1 John 4:4"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Free<\/p>\n

When God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, miraculously parting the Red Sea and leading them to the very edge of the Promised Land, they took one look at the fearsome inhabitants of Canaan and shrunk back in fear.<\/p>\n

God promised to go ahead of them<\/strong>, to throw their enemies into confusion, to send hornets to drive their adversaries away. (Exodus 23:23-30<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Yet rather than taking God at His word and placing their full trust in Him, the Israelites heeded the report of ten faithless men who claimed the land was full of unconquerable giants.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re as grasshoppers in their sight!\u201d these spineless spies exaggerated. \u201cSurely we will be utterly destroyed, our wives and children enslaved. It is too great a risk!\u201d (Numbers 13:30-33<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Joshua and Caleb alone pleaded with their brethren not to shrink back. \u201cDo not fear the people of the land… their protection has been removed from them, and the LORD is with us<\/strong>.\u201d (Numbers 14:9<\/a>)<\/p>\n

I can almost hear those two belting out the words of Chris Tomlin’s praise song:<\/p>\n

Our God is greater, our God is stronger,
\nGod you are higher than any other.
\nOur God is Healer, Awesome in Power, Our God! Our God!
\nAnd if our God is for us, then who could ever stop us.
\nAnd if our God is with us, then what could stand against…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Yet, instead of heeding this sage advice, the Israelites rebelled. They changed course, opting to remain in the desert, where they lived for forty years until the generation who doubted had completely died off.<\/p>\n

Yes, God still loved them. Yes, He still led them. Yes, He supplied their needs<\/strong>. They ate the manna. They pitched their tents. They drank from the Rock.<\/p>\n

But they died never knowing what they had missed.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don’t let this ever be said of you!<\/p>\n

The obstacles you face may loom large and threateningly over you, but God has promised never to leave of forsake you.<\/strong> (Deuteronomy 31:6<\/a>)<\/p>\n

His Word assures us of this fact:<\/p>\n