Don't Miss Your Blessing

By: Jenifer Metzger

All the Israelites complained about Moses

and Aaron, and the whole community told

them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt,

or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why

is the Lord bringing us into this land to die by

the sword? Our wives and children will become

plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back

to Egypt?” So they said to one another, “Let’s

appoint a leader and go back to Egypt.”

Numbers 14:2-4 CSB

If you are following along with our Bible reading plan, we are currently in the book of Numbers. Today we read of the Israelites complaining, again. This time they threatened to push Moses out and find a new leader to take them back to Egypt, where they were slaves. When Joshua and Caleb stood up to them, they threatened to stone the men.

God's anger burned towards the Israelites for their disobedience and unfaithfulness. He decided strike them down with a plague. But Moses went to God on their behalf. God decided to let them live, yet, because of their disobedience and unfaithfulness, He took away their blessing of the promised land.

The Lord responded, “I have pardoned them as you

requested. Yet as I live and as the whole earth is filled

with the Lord’s glory, none of the men who have seen

My glory and the signs I performed in Egypt and in the

wilderness, and have tested me these ten times and did

not obey Me, will ever see the land I swore to give their

ancestors. None of those who have despised Me will see it.

Numbers 14:20-23 CSB

As I read these words, it made me wonder, how many blessings have I lost out on because of my own  disobedience or unfaithfulness? How many times has God had to withhold something from me because I didn't follow His plan?

It's not that God withholds blessings because He is mean or holds His giant thumb over us, it is because He is a loving Father. Last night my grandsons were over for dinner and they did not want to eat. We told them if they didn't eat their dinner, they wouldn't get dessert. They didn't eat, therefore they didn't get dessert. It isn't because we're mean grandparents, it's because we love them and know they need more than just sugary sweets, they need nutrition.

God is a good Father and He knows what is best for us. If we choose disobedience, just like with our children or grandchildren, we are choosing to forgo a possible blessing.

Do we obey and remain faithful only for blessings? Absolutely not. We obey God and remain faithful to Him because He is God! Period. That alone is reason enough. He is God and worthy of our praise, obedience, and faithfulness. We obey and remain faithful because we know that He loves us, sees the big picture that we cannot see, and He knows what is best for us. Because we know that obeying Him and remaining faithful to Him brings us to a place of peace and grows our relationship with Him.

Blessings are just the byproduct of being obedient and faithful. Blessings come in all shapes and sizes. From a big financial blessing to having a steady job. From a restored relationship to the wisdom of knowing when to walk away from a relationship. From a vacation to a good night's sleep. Blessings can be big and can be small.

No matter what the blessing may be, we don't want to miss out on what God may have for us by being disobedient or unfaithful to Him. We need to live and walk in obedience and faithfulness to God.

Discussion:
1. Have you ever missed a blessing because of your disobedience or unfaithfulness to God? If you don't mind sharing, what was it?
2. Have you ever thought of your disobedience or unfaithfulness as a cause of missing out on a blessing?