Joshua 2:8-11 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof and said to them, “I know that the LORD has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.
God set things up for Israel to conquer the promised land upon exiting Egypt. The fear of God had fallen on “all who live in this country”. Their “hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed”. The whole land was ripe for the picking. God had set it up to be that way. Imagine for a moment if the children of Israel would have acted immediately on God’s promises and direction and marched straight into the promised land to take it. Do you think they would have been victorious? I think they would have had a much easier time conquering their enemies. But because of fear and doubt, they refused to follow through and did not obey the Lord. Israel suffered the loss of a whole generation plus those that died in the battles that came later because of disobedience prompted by fear and doubt.
When I don’t act on God’s promises, I make it harder to accomplish that task. When I don’t conquer sin in my life the moment God highlights it, it becomes harder to free myself. When I let the wind and waves scare me and discourage me, I sacrifice the victory that God has already prepared for me. We embolden our enemies when we delay and procrastinate. Look at your life. Is there a promised land that God has called you to possess? Is there an enemy He has prepared you to defeat? What is keeping you from marching into the promised land and taking it for God? Is it fear? Name it! Is it doubt? Call it out! Is it procrastination? Repent of it! We can’t afford to lose another generation. What price are you paying because you delay?
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