Perform Consistently 3

Numbers 13:30-32

Before arriving at our current appointment the superintendent for our church district held a funeral. It wasn’t for any particular person. The funeral – including a donated casket and headstone – was for “I Can’t.” He was urging everyone in this symbolic gesture to say good-bye to an attitude of negativity and to embrace an attitude of consistent performance.

Before entering the Promised Land Moses sent spies into the land to get a good look at what was awaiting the Israelites. The spies returned with samples of the abundance of the land, yet they did not move forward. What did Caleb want to do? What did the other spies do to prevent it?

There are many ways to interpret what went on in Numbers 13. Some point out Caleb’s attitude of relying on God while others relied on themselves and failed to act. The fruits the spies brought back were incredibly abundant and of enormous size. They said the land flowed with milk and honey.

And yet they did not want to act. They allowed their own fears to overtake them. Their own doubts caused them to “spread a bad report” to the people. An interpretation can be that these spies told lies and fostered negative rumors about the land. Because of that the people failed to perform.

And because of their failure the Promised Land was withheld from them. God made certain that those who doubted would wander the wilderness until they died. The promise of a land of abundance was then passed on to the next generation.

We are given God’s promises for a bright future, a future of hope and success. But to reach that wonderful future, to receive the promise from God we are called to act. We are called to perform our ministries with faith, trusting that god will be with us as we go.

If we will perform our ministries, as we are called to do, then we must say farewell to the “I can’t” attitude. We must refuse to listen to those who choose not to perform and go forward with our prayers and plans to serve God’s kingdom.

DAILY CHALLENGE: What will it take for you to say “I can?”