The Journey through the Wilderness

 

“The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Turn and take your journey, and go to the hill country of the Amorites and to all their neighbors in the Arabah, in the hill country and in the lowland and in the Negeb and by the seacoast, the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates. See, I have set the land before you. Go in and take possession of the land that the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their offspring after them.’” (Deuteronomy 1:6-8 ESV).

 

I mentioned the snow in our area in yesterday’s devotional. The photo I have attached with this writing was taken from the deck off the pool in our backyard. I posted one similar on social media. One of the responses was a remark about the beauty of the snow covered tree. The responder had a sharp eye and also said, “And, it has mistletoe in it too.” It does. I have tried to cut most of the parasitic plant away from the trees, but this one is a bit higher than I am allowed to climb (insert laugh here). I was impressed that this detail was noticed. I am reminded how easy it is to miss the hidden gems of life in the midst of the “storm.”

 

Our reading today has an essential truth in it. It had been hundreds of years since God promised Abraham the land of Canaan (cf. Genesis 12:1-7), but his descendants still didn't possess it. God's timetable sometimes requires patience. Still, though Israel had not yet received the land, it was truly theirs: "I have given you this land." The gift was secure. Moses reminded the people about the report of the team that had spied out the land: "It is a good land that the Lord our God is giving us" (cf. Deuteronomy 1:25). And, how could it not be good? The gift reflects the Giver. God creates space for comfortable living in his presence. In the desert, Israel experienced God's daily goodness: food, water, and protection from enemies. Now, on the edge of their future, the people could see the good land.

 

Moses also reminded them that their disloyal parents had been here too 40 years earlier. That generation had rebelled, but God does not hold his anger forever. And now God was honoring the promise made to Abraham. The gift of land is yours, Moses explained. It's not really about the gift, of course, but the Giver. It's not about the good land but God's gracious presence. God can be present anywhere, in the desert, on the plains east of the Jordan, and, yes, also just beyond the river. Look to the Giver, receive the gift, and enjoy him forever. Dwight L. Moody said it this way: “Take courage. We walk through the wilderness today and in the Promised Land tomorrow.” Look for the mistletoe in the snow! Jesus has secured that Land for us!