Suffering a Faith Failure

"So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:19)

See also: Numbers 13:27-33

Be nature, we are people of belief because faith is the foundation of our relationship to God. But every once in a while, we experience what can be called a faith failure. Often, these failures happen when we hesitate or cease to trust God during challenging times. Yet there are many other causes for faith failure:

Fear of being unsuccessful.

Failure to understand the nature of God.

Forgetting God's power.

Focusing on our obstacles.

As you read through today's Scripture passage from Numbers, ask yourself this question: Which of these factors do you think played a role in the Israelites' hesitance to enter the land of Negev?

Actually, it can be argued that a combination of all these issues suddenly caused the Israelites to doubt God and become fearful. This massive faith failure then led to a crisis among the people.

So, how do we avoid faith failures? Truthfully, we will all experience doubts from time to time. But we can be prepared for these episodes by filling our minds with God's truth. When we know the character of our heavenly Father, we will be prepared to respond with spiritual maturity when our faith is tested.

As you spend time with God today, focus on His true nature. Which of His characteristics has He shown you: faithfulness, goodness, mercy? The Lord longs for you to know and trust Him so that His perfect will may be carried out in your life.

Lord, there are lands of the Negev in my life - places where I fear to go. I want to immerse myself in Your truth so that my bolstered faith will carry me through. Amen

~Charles Stanley~