Every Christian, who is called by God to greater works, must spend some time in the wilderness of trials. The length of time that you spend in the desert depends on your attitude.

If you are stubborn, disobedient and complained a lot, it is possible that you will never be delivered from your trials.

However, if you maintained a good spirit and learned to be humble and patient, the Lord will elevate and reward you.

The Lord led the children of Israel in the wilderness after their deliverance from slavery to test their hearts.

After spending some time in the desert, the Lord was ready for the Israelites to cross over Jordon to enter the promise land. So the Lord told Moses to send twelve men in the enemy’s territory to assess it.

The spies spent forty days in the land, and when they returned, they showed the people large luscious and juicy grapes, pomegranates and figs. They agreed that the country indeed flowed with milk and honey.

“Nevertheless…”

The men returned with good news that confirmed God’s promises but doubts seeped into ten of the spies’ hearts, and they began to give the people negative reports

They said, “Nevertheless the people are strong, the cities are fortified and large, and the descendants of Anak lived in the land.”

The Anaks, the ten spies claimed, were giants, and they appeared like grasshoppers when compared to them.

After that, the doubtful spies began to identify the enemies that surrounded them – the Amalekites to the south, the Amorites, Hittites, and Jebusites in the mountains and the Canaanites at the seaside near the Jordon river.

So the enemies were all around and within the land and the people were terrified.

They cried out fearfully that they would be ambushed and slaughtered by the enemy.

I find it very hard to believe that these same people who saw the miracles that God did at the red sea would doubt God.

However, the devil always tries to blind your eyes to God’s purpose in your life and let you forget the good that He had done for you.

So instead of focusing on the promises of God they only look at the short-term with their natural eyes and began to doubt God.

Caleb tried to calm the boisterous Israelites by suggesting that they immediately attack the enemy because they were able to overcome them. (Numbers 13)

Caleb was correct because God had already weakened the hearts of the enemies.

 Now before they lay down, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men:

“I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.  For 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 the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.  And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath. (Joshua 2:8-11)

Rahab spoke the above words to the spies who were sent by Joshua. Rahab listed the mighty works of God during the leadership of Moses.

At that time when the inhabitants of the land heard about the Israelites successes, they were weak with fear.

The enemies heard about God’s mighty works and were petrified with fear yet the people of God who experienced and witnessed the mighty works of God doubted Him and were afraid of the enemies.

Does this make sense to you? Think about it carefully because the same thing is happening right now.

But, the Israelites did not trust God, and they wept with fear the entire night. They told Moses that they wished they had died in Egypt or the wilderness.

Joshua intervened and tried to encourage the people. But, they were obstinate and took up rocks to stone the leaders.

Immediately the Lord intervened. He was furious and frustrated with the stubborn Israelites that He called His own.

The glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.

 Then the Lord said to Moses: “How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?  I will strike them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and I will make of you a nation greater and mightier than they.” (Numbers 14:11-12)

The glory of the Lord was like consuming fire to the Israelites and they flee fearfully from His presence. So, Moses intervened.

And Moses said to the Lord: “Then the Egyptians will hear it, for by Your might You brought these people up from among them, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have heard that You, Lord, are among these people; that You, Lord, are seen face to face and Your cloud stands above them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. 

Now if You kill these people as one man, then the nations which have heard of Your fame will speak, saying, ^‘Because the Lord was not able to bring this people to the land which He swore to give them, therefore He killed them in the wilderness.’ (Numbers 14: 13-16)

Do you notice how many times Moses spoke the word ‘you’ and ‘your’ in the above passage?

He said those words eight times because he wanted to emphasize to God that He had made a promise to His people. Therefore, He cannot change His mind.

Jesus Christ is our eternal High Priest, who stands in the gap between God and us.

When the Father becomes angry with His stubborn and wayward children on earth the, the Son of God, reminded Him that Christ paid the price on the cross for our sins.

The Lord’s mercy immediately prevails, and He always relents.

And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ^‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.” (Numbers 14: 17-19)

The Lord’s mercy and grace consistently save us from mass destruction because of the blood of Jesus Christ. However, when we speak negative and doubtful words over our life, they will come to pass.

Then the Lord said: “I have pardoned, according to your word; but truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord— because all these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have put Me to the test now these ten times, and have not heeded My voice, they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who rejected Me see it. 

But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwell in the valley; tomorrow turn and move out into the wilderness by the Way of the Red Sea.” (Numbers 14:20-24)

Thus, according to the destructive words of the Israelites which thy proclaimed upon themselves, they perished in the wilderness.

The Lord had mercy on the younger generation and did not put the iniquities of their parents upon them. They inherited the promise land.

Caleb and Joshua spoke positive words, and they obtained the promise land. The Lord said that Caleb had a different spirit and followed Him entirely.

We also need to have the Holy Spirit in our heart and follow God completely so that we can inherit His promises.

Share with us your trials and how you overcome by the mercy of God.