Key elements to spiritual success
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Faith Fitness
Bro. Sam Kaufman
Faith and trust in God’s Word are two key elements to spiritual success.
Trusting that God will do what He said and believing it clears some big hurdles.
Many times, doing those things won’t win a popularity contest. Standing with God’s Word will oftentimes result in being in the minority.
That’s a clearcut fact throughout scripture.
Following God through faith and trust can result in mockery, separation and persecution. It is definitely the road less traveled by humanity.
Noah was a preacher of righteousness and followed God’s plan by faith to a tee. But only eight people out of all humanity from that era were saved in the ark.
Matthew 7:13-14 describes the proportion of humans that follow/don’t follow God’s Word by faith as few and many.
“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
David was the only one that stepped up by faith and trust in God, while King Saul and the Israeli troops were gripped by intimidation of the giant. David slew Goliath.
Spying out the promised land revealed another instance where faith and trust among God’s people was in the minority.
Where did that get Caleb and Joshua? The people wanted to stone them to death, but God eventually brought those two into an inheritance in Canaan, while the carcasses of the others fell in the wilderness.
The 10 spies who brought a bad report to the people didn’t last long.
The opposite of faith and trust in God’s Word is unbelief and doubt. Those with a testimony of doubt and unbelief simply won’t make it far with God.
In fact, without faith, it is impossible to please God. Nobody can come to God without faith.
Lack of faith in God’s Word separates us from God.
The 10 spies who got their eyes on man and not faith in God weakened the people. Their doubt and unbelief strongly influenced the others.
They considered themselves to be grasshoppers in their own sight compared to the giants of the land. But unlike David did, they forgot that God was with them, and nobody is bigger than God.
Their pessimistic outlook (report), which left out God, enabled doubt and unbelief to spread.
“And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said unto them, Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God we had died in this wilderness!” (Numbers 14:1-2).
The 10 spies’ lack of faith and trust in God led to their demise.
“And the men, which Moses sent to search the land, who returned, and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up a slander upon the land, Even those men that bring up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the lord. But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of the men that went to search the land, lived still.” (Number 14:36-38).
What was the difference with Caleb and Joshua? They had faith in God’s Word and trusted in God. Their report to the people was different.
“And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying The Land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is department from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.” (Numbers 14:6-9.)
But their faith and trust were met by persecution. The others were persuaded against believing God and fiercely opposed those who did.
“But all the congregation bade stone them with stones…” (Numbers 14:10.)
Faith and trust in God resulted in a wonderful outcome for Joshua and Caleb. They stuck to their guns of faith and trust, which ultimately led them into the promised land, while the others of that generation perished.
Joshua was Moses’ successor and led the next generation into Canaan.
Caleb was 80 years old when they went in, and his strength hadn’t diminished.
