Promised Land

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(Taken and adapted from a Your Daily Bible Verse podcast episode.)

When faced with a challenge, which way do you most tend to lean. Do you honestly acknowledge the problem and your emotions but then sift your them through everything you know about God, saying, “Yes, this challenge seems insurmountable and beyond me and my resources or strength, but Almighty, all-powerful God is bigger.

Or do you lean the other way? Do you tend to add faith-disclaimers? Do you find yourself, in essence, saying, “Yes, God is all-knowing, all-powerful, faithful, always with me–He retains full control over every situation … except this one. This problem right here, it’s just too much.”?

We see examples of both in Numbers 13. If you spend much time reading Old Testament Scripture, you may be familiar with this period in ancient Israel’s history. Through Moses, the man God chose to liberate His people, He freed them from 400 years of slavery to the nation of Egypt–through a series of miraculous, unforgettable and irrefutable signs, I might add. He used their journey to the Promised Land to reveal His nature and His heart, and ultimately, lead them to Himself..

Prior to their entrance into their new land, Moses sent twelve spies to scout out the area so they could report on the area and its people. After 40 days, the men returned with evidence of the land’s abundance. 

Had they focused on the bounty they carried and the power, presence, and promises of God , they could’ve spent the rest of their lives enjoying the peace and provisions of God rather than wondering about the desert for 40 years. Had they honestly expressed their concerns to Him, I’m certain He would’ve provided the assurance they needed. Then, again, they could’ve avoided a long, tiring four-decade wilderness trek.

Unfortunately, however, they focused entirely on the challenge ahead, refusing to hear truth, while forgetting all of the ways God had faithfully protected and provided for them. 

In short, they amplified their problems and minimized their God. This caused them and nearly the entire camp–all 600,000 plus of them, to become paralyzed in fear.  

Caleb, however, focused on reality. As one of the spies who also had seen the fortified cities throughout Canaan and all the people–some quite large and militant, living within their walls, he understood precisely what challenges lay ahead of them. He probably knew Amalekites Hittites, Jebusites Amorites and Canaanites wouldn’t give up their territory without a fight. He likely realized they had better trained and equipped soldiers than a nation of former slaves. But He also knew that all the armies in the world combined times ten proved no match for Jehovah Sabaoth, the Lord of heaven’s armies.

That was the “Nevertheless” he focused on. “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it,” he said. 

Unfortunately, the people refused to listen to him and therefore forfeited the blessing God had planned on giving them. 

I wonder, how often do we do the same. How often do we forfeit blessings God wants to give us–out of fears we feed through a misplaced focus?

We will always have a “nevertheless” or “Yes, but.” We get to choose what we elevate–our problems and the fear they evoke, or our fearless God. 

I get this isn’t easy. To stand firm on faith, we’ll probably need to redirect our thoughts a thousand times, maybe even a thousand times each day. But each time we do, our faith grows a little stronger, simultaneously starving our fears. 

Catch more of Moses and the Israelite’s journey in the Your Daily Bible Verse series titled Moses: From Fearful to Faithful. Find the latest episode HERE. Catch the Your Daily Bible Verse GodTube channel HERE.

Why We Lose Ourselves in Relationships—and How to Find Our Way Back – Faith Over Fear

In this opening episode of our new Faith Over Fear series, Relational Peace: Loving Others Without Losing Yourself, Carol sits down with Bible teacher and author Becky Harling for an honest conversation about the subtle ways we lose ourselves inside relationships. Together, they explore how fear, people-pleasing, overfunctioning, and the pressure to keep everyone happy can quietly erode our peace, identity, and emotional health. Becky shares practical wisdom on boundaries, friendship, emotional dependency, and how Jesus modeled deep love without losing Himself in the process. If you’ve ever felt exhausted from carrying everyone else’s emotions or guilty for needing rest, this episode offers biblical encouragement and practical next steps toward healthier, Christ-centered relationships. In This Episode, learn: Why people-pleasing is often fear in disguise The difference between healthy love and self-erasure How Jesus modeled boundaries and emotional health Signs you may be losing yourself in relationships Why Christian women and men especially struggle with overextending What healthy friendships actually look like Practical tools for saying no without guilt How to love others without carrying their emotional weight Scripture References Mark 1:35–38 Proverbs 4:23 John 2:24 Ephesians 2:10 I think I got them all? Key TakeawayHealthy relationships are not built on fear, guilt, or emotional exhaustion. They’re built on truth, grace, wisdom, honesty, and an identity firmly rooted in Christ. Find Becky Harling:  On her website On Facebook On Instagram On Amazon Find Carol McCracken: On her website  On Facebook On Instagram Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
  1. Why We Lose Ourselves in Relationships—and How to Find Our Way Back
  2. Recognizing and Breaking Free from Harmful Relationships
  3. From Bondage to Abundance: One Woman's Testimony About Learning to Live Free
  4. How God Helps Us Get to and Resolve the Root of Our Anxiety
  5. Calm Anxiety and Overwhelm Through Time With Christ

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Somehow I’ve accumulated a bit of short stories sitting on my computer. I hate wasted text, so, I decided to try something new and fun. But you know me, I hate being boxed in, which means, I can’t guarantee a story every Saturday, but as I’ve got them (or at times, as they’re sent) I’ll post them. If you’ve got a story or excerpt you’d like to share, send it to me via email at jenniferaslattery(at)gmail(dot)com. You’ve always wanted to write but aren’t sure how to get started? Try your hand and send it my way!

Moses Answers the Call (taken from Exodus 2-3)

Moses rolled his mat and stuffed it in his bag along with the rest of his belongings. The aroma of roasted grain filled the air, drawing him to a fire centered in their camp where Zipporah, his wife sat preparing his morning meal. Her sisters chattered beside her, one grinding grain, another pressing olives, still another weaving strong goat-hair thread into torn and thread-bare tent panels.

                Footsteps sounded behind him and he turned to see Jethro, his father-in-law, approaching. His stiff smile only deepened the sadness in his chestnut eyes. “So you have made up your mind? There is nothing I can say to sway you?”

                Moses sighed and gripped his bag tighter. How he longed to heed Jethro’s words of warning, but God left no room for doubt. “I must do as God commands.”

                “And if the Egyptians kills you?” His gaze drifted toward his daughters gathered a few paces away before returning to Moses.

                Moses straightened and lifted his chin. “They won’t. I told you of the signs God showed me. The flaming bush that never burned up. My staff which turned to a snake. My hand leprous and as white as the clouds drifting above us, made healthy by a mere dipping it into my cloak.”

                “But why now? After they’ve been enslaved for so very long?”

                Moses shook his head. “He did not tell me why, and I cannot worry about that which I do not understand. I must act upon what I know.”

                “And what is that?”

                Moses lifted his gaze toward the distant hills, a gentle breeze stirring through his thick, gray hair. “I know that God has heard the cries of his people and has deemed it time to act. I know that He will be their mighty deliverer. I know Aaron, my brother whom I thought I would never see again, is on his way to meet me even now.” He inhaled, then exhaled slowly, hoping to quiet the churning in his stomach. “I know it will not be easy—that the Pharaoh’s heart will grow hard again and again and I fear that my people, the people I come to help, will hate me.”

                “Yet still you go.”

                Moses nodded. “Yet still I go, for now that I have experienced God’s presence for myself, now that I have heard His voice, I cannot walk away. His presence is better than life itself.”

                Soft footsteps approached and Moses glanced up to see Zipporah approach with a bundle of cloth. “Better than life with me, my lord?” Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

                Moses held her gaze, the very breath stolen from him. A tear slid down her cheek and he brushed it away. “Do not cry, my beautiful wife. I will return. Once Pharaoh lets the people go, and we begin our journey, I will send for you. I will bring you with me to the Promised Land.”

                Zipporah dipped her head and Moses knew the emotions that warred inside her, because they raged in him as well. Two days ago, God was nothing more than a story told to him as a child. And now, he risked everything to follow. The very thought turned his stomach, but below the fear simmered something more—hope.

                He cupped Zipporah’s chin and lifted her face until her eyes met his. “At night, when you lie upon your mat, gazing at the stars, think of the Promised Land I spoke of. A land with fragrant flowers growing upon the meadows. A land flowing with milk and honey.”

                Zipporah smiled. “I knew God had plans for you. All these years as you’ve served my father so faithfully, tending his sheep night after night, I knew you were destined for more, my prince of Egypt.”

                Moses chuckled. “Prince of Egypt indeed. Such a title is no longer important to me, my sweet Zipporah. Now I wish more than anything to be a servant of the living God.”

                “And so you will be. Go with the strength God provides, and may He protect your every step.”

Luke 9:23  Then He (Jesus) said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. (NIV)

When we read the biblical accounts, often we fail to realize these were real people with real struggles. They felt the same emotions you and I face. Although I’ve “fleshed out” the story provided in Exodus, adding details as I see they may have happened, I imagine leaving his wife, father-in-law and the predictable life he knew in Midian to confront the powerful, slave-driving Pharaoh wasn’t easy. Obedience rarely is. But I believe Moses’ obedience was motivated by two things: his love for God and his hope in something better–the Promised Land.

Similarly, as Christians our obedience is motivated by two things: our love for God who, while we were still sinners, died for us; and our hope in something better–Heaven, the eternal promised land. For we fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, our glorious Savior and His promise of eternity.

Happy Saturday!