“Then we turned around and headed back across the wilderness toward the Red Sea…and we wandered around in the region of Mt. Seir for a long time. Then at last the Lord said to me, ‘You have been wandering around in this hill country long enough…’”
Deuteronomy 2:1-2
When the Israelites rebelled against the Lord and were defeated by the enemy, they stayed at that place of defeat for a long time. (1:45) I wonder how long I have sat, wallowing at my places of defeat? And like the Israelites, when I finally turn around and head another direction, do I still wander around for a long time? (2:1)
For the Israelites, their wandering began with unbelief. By NOT believing that GOD would do what HE said HE would do, they prolonged their Promised Land another thirty-eight years! Sadly, that is always the story of unbelief! It not only prolongs victory; unbelief causes a poor-me attitude. When we don’t believe God, we believe lies about ourselves, like I’m the victim. And then we blame others for our wilderness! Unbelief clouds our sight…everything looks bad instead of good.
But I love verse two, “At last the Lord said…‘You have been wandering around…long enough!’” And His next word was turn! It was time to turn from fear to faith, from mourning to dancing, from victim to victory. And those turns are only possible when we first turn our focus from ME to HE! When we turn our eyes from ourselves to see GOD for who He is, THEN we will believe! And THEN we will wander around no more!
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