November 16, 2023

As I sit and enjoy the waves crashing against the shoreline, it would be easy to settle by the sea and never go home again; I find it exceedingly peaceful. I can understand why there were two and a half tribes that wanted to stay on the east side of the Jordan River. The vast open pasture land made it easy to feed their cattle, of which they had many. They must have found it to be as beautiful as I’ve found the sea. God had appointed that the two-and-a-half tribes should have a portion of the land of Canaan, so they had to convince Moses of their desire to stay. Moses made a good point that if they wanted to stay, they must first help the other tribes conquer the land God promised them. They agreed and began to prepare the land so their families could stay there unharmed by the current inhabitants. Sometimes, God leaves us to our own desires, but we eventually pay the price for not following his direction. We find in 2 Kings that they were the first to be taken into captivity by the Assyrians. If left to make our own decisions, some of us would make a mess of our lives; that’s why we must learn to hear and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit. When you stay wrapped in God’s Word, study daily, offer praise, stay prayerful, and worship Him, hearing his voice becomes easy. If those tribes had followed what God had appointed for them, much of the heartache they experienced later on might have lessened. 

The point of today’s lesson is to stay in tune with God by studying His Word. It’s the only way to know what he expects of you. 

Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan. Numbers 32:4-5