Looking at Where You've Been
This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden
Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.” —Deuteronomy 1:29-31
The Israelites had traveled through the desert for more years than they wished to count. Spies had been sent out to inspect the Promised Land. Upon returning, the men reported that the people were larger and stronger and the people of Israel were scared. They cried out to Moses and asked why God had brought them there to die.
Then, Moses said something along the lines of, “Quit looking forward and being paralyzed in fear. God will fight for you! Look at all He has done in the past. He carried you in your time of need. He guided you in the darkness when you couldn’t find your way and was with you in the light when things seemed easier and clearer. Trust in Him!” This is something I need to be reminded of regularly.
A friend once told me, “Life’s a lot like rowing. You only know where you’ve been.” How true. We may not know what lies ahead, but we know where we have been. Wherever you are in your journey, whether in a time of light or in a time of darkness, God is with you. As the Israelites demonstrated to us over and over, it is often too easy to forget how God has carried us in the past when challenges face us ahead.
If you find yourself wondering where God is, or becoming paralyzed with fear over what is next, hold tight to this: The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in _______. (Fill in the blank.) God will carry you as He has done before, as He always will.
GOING DEEPER:
1. What makes it difficult for you to fully put your trust in God when it comes to the future?
2. Make a list of at least three ways God has delivered you in the past.
FURTHER READING:
Deuteronomy 1; Psalm 13; Romans 15:13
For more information and resources please visit HomeWord.com.
