The Lord is not among you

Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the LORD is not among you. – Numbers 14v42

Israel thought they could go now. ‘Okay, okay Moses, we get it now. Let’s go conquer that land!’

But they had waited too long. They only moved when they knew they were going to suffer for not moving. Their hearts were not right and their motivation was fear instead of obedience. They were controlled not by the spirit, but by their own flesh. Now God was not in it and they were promised that if they went now they would fail.

Success only comes when God is in it. Our fleshly endeavours, even if they seem like good endeavours, will not to nothing if we try to go in our own power and motivated by our own flesh.

Too often we are moved by something other than God. It might be emotion, fear, peer pressure, pride, or any number of other reasons.

We had better be sure before we go that ‘the Lord is among us.’ Otherwise we cannot succeed.