I’m sure that most of us know the story of Moses and how, through God’s power, he led the Israelites out of Egypt. God had promised that He would deliver them and He kept good on that promise. Despite what seemed like an impossible task, God did exactly what He said He would do. But that’s not the only thing God promised them. He also promised that the Promised Land (often referred to as the land flowing with milk and honey) would be theirs. It was the same land that was promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. However, they didn’t trust God with this promise even though He had delivered them from slavery in Egypt. Because of their rebellious attitude, the process of them inheriting the land was delayed. They weren’t obedient.

As we enter a new year, it’s important to know and remember the fact that God is pleased when we’re obedient to Him. As we can see with the Israelites, they didn’t trust God but instead caved in to fear. In Numbers 13 and Deuteronomy 1, we can see how the Israelites followed their own plan and how it turned out for them. These chapters still hold much relevance today and we can learn from them, especially going into a new year.

• Don’t Cave In to Fear

I’ve already made a blog post about fear that you can find here, but it is a key theme when looking at the Israelites. Moses had spies chosen to go scout the Promised Land to get an idea of what it looked like and to know more about it. When they got there, what they saw terrified them. The cities in the land were heavily fortified, they were walled, and the guards and men were bigger than average. They even said that they felt like grasshoppers compared to the men that resided in the Promised Land. “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (Numbers 13:33) When they came back, they brought a negative report and discouraged all of the Israelites. Their fear took their focus from God’s promise and made them focus only on the negatives.

We’re always going to face situations that may make us prone to fear. However, we should remain focused on the positives instead of the negatives, and the one constant positive that we can always rely on is Christ. If we cave in to fear, we could miss out on a wonderful opportunity that God is trying to open up for us. God promised the Israelites that He would deliver them from Egypt and He did. He promised that the land would be theirs, and even though they were disobedient and unfaithful at first, 40 years later, they eventually entered it. This year, don’t be the reason your promise is delayed. Know your God, remain focused on Him, and remember that He always keeps good on His promises.

• Make Decisions Based on What You Know About God

There were 12 spies that scouted the land for Moses. Two of them were named Caleb and Joshua (who went on to do great things himself). When they returned from their scouting duty, the other 10 spies reported negative things and didn’t want to take the land. However, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who were willing to take the unpopular stand and do what God had commanded them to do. They knew that they were smaller and less prepared than those in the Promised Land. But they also knew that God keeps good on His promises. That He is the provider of their strength.

Make it a priority this year to know God better and to remember who He is when you’re making a tough decision. When we think too much about our weaknesses, what could go wrong, and what we know about ourselves, then it could derail us from God’s purpose for us and cause us to make our own decision instead of relying on Him. But when we focus on God, we know that His capabilities are unlimited. We know that He is sovereign and in control. The same God that brought Jesus back to life, is the same God that will carry us through anything, despite the circumstances. His promises aren’t dependent on human emotions and feelings, they’re a sure thing! This year, when you’re faced with a tough decision, remember the God that you serve.

• Keep Your Perspective

In Galatians 5:9, Paul says “A little leaven leavens the whole batch of dough.” All it takes is one person to potentially derail others from their focus on God. All it took was the negative opinion of 10 men to discourage the Israelites and cause them to rebel. They were caught up in the emotion of the moment and they felt that the best decision was to retreat.

It’s human nature to often accept opinion as fact. Especially when the opinion comes from someone that we look to as a leader or that we trust. You may be in a position this year where a cry of despair goes up around you. Don’t rely solely on the opinions of others. I encourage you to keep your perspective. Whether they’re right or wrong, always pray about the situation and allow God to guide you.

God Will Take Care of It

The Promised Land was a land that God cared for and that He would take care of. “But the land you area entering to possess is a land of mountains and valleys, watered by rain from the sky. It is a land the Lord your God cares for. He is always watching over it from the beginning to the end of the year” (Deuteronomy 11:11-12). All the Israelites had to do was have a willingness to follow God’s command and the land would be theirs and it would be well taken care of. But their disobedience caused them to experience a setback. They had suffered a lot, and the process wasn’t promised to be easy. But the result was guaranteed by God Himself. However, they had a lack of faith and were disobedient. It wasn’t the actual distance that stood between them and the Promised Land but it was the condition of their hearts.

Think of this new year as your Promised Land. Even though it may be filled with bad circumstances and some suffering, God will ultimately use it for your good. We just have to be willing to follow His recipe, not our own. His recipe is to: Fear Him with reverence and awe, walk in His ways by serving Him and keeping His commandments, and to love Him with all of our heart. “If you carefully obey my commands I am giving you today, to love the Lord your God and worship Him with all your heart and all you soul, I will provide rain for your land in the proper time, the autumn and spring rains, and you will harvest your grain, new wine, and fresh oil. I will provide grass in your fields for your livestock. You will eat and be satisfied” (Deuteronomy 11:13-15).

Don’t worry about your weaknesses and the trials you will face. Just remain obedient to God and He will take care of you and the situation. It may not always be in the way we want or in the time that we want, but when we know God (and I mean “KNOW GOD”), we know that everything He does will be for our good and will help us.

Spend your energy moving forward, not retreating . Enter this year following God’s recipe, and out will flow milk and honey.

Related Bible Verses to Help

But look, the Lord keeps His eye on those who fear Him—those who depend on His faithful love to rescue them from death and to keep them alive in famine. We wait for the Lord; He is our help and shield. For our hearts rejoice in Him because we trust in His holy name. May your faithful love rest on us. Lord, for we put our hope in you. (Psalms 33:18-22)

One who is righteous has many adversities, but the Lord rescues Him from them all. (Psalms 34:19)

If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. (Isaiah 1:19)