As we enter into our season of Lent, that 40-day period where we prepare ourselves for the gift of the resurrection, we are reminded that we are to take a journey of faith. In these weeks before Easter we need to examine ourselves, examine our spiritual state, to see if we are ready to accept the salvation Jesus gives.
We are to take this time to build our faith. And this year we will follow the events of Holy Week, using Jesus as our guide. But first we must know what grace and Lent are all about.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran pastor and theologian who died for opposing Adolf Hitler, talked about “costly grace.” The idea is that grace, which is free to us, cost God His Son. In response we should be willing to give of ourselves, risking and committing all to serve the Lord.
In Numbers we have the story of Moses leading the Israelites to the very border of the Promised Land, that wonderful place God had pledged to them. Before they enter, however, spies are sent in to see what the land is like. When they return they tell of the incredible bounty that awaits them, but they also warn of the people living there. They are very powerful.
What does Caleb want to do? What confidence does he have? What do the other men say?
God had promised the Israelites a home filled with abundance, a land flowing with milk and honey. And the spies who entered Canaan found incredible abundance waiting for them. But they were frightened and did not trust in God.
Caleb had confidence in God. He knew that if God had made the promise that Canaan was to belong to the Israelites then indeed it would. They simply needed to move ahead with God’s plans and receive what He had promised.
But others did not have that strength in their faith. They doubted. In fact they were so afraid they threatened to stone Moses if he led them into the Promised Land. The result was that God cursed them, His anger burning against them. All of the Israelites at that time were cursed to wander the wilderness until they had all died.
The days of Lent are often compared to the wilderness of wandering. As we enter into this season we must remember the incredible bounty that awaits us on Easter Sunday. It is a gift from God for each of us as sinners. But we must prepare ourselves to receive this wonderful gift.
To prepare ourselves we must move forward in our faith, pushing ahead with the confidence of Caleb, and not the self-doubting weakness seen in the other spies. In the coming weeks you should examine your faith and how it compares to the perfect example of holiness found in Jesus.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Honestly evaluate your faith. Does it have the confidence seen in Caleb, or are you often timid like the other spies?
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