Know Your Season and Identity to Receive Your Promised Land
Recently, during devotions with the kids, we talked about the Israelites being set free from Egypt. We discussed how God purposely brought them the long way, because he knew they weren’t ready for the battle that lay ahead in the promised land, as it says in Exodus chapter 13.
“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.
Exodus 13:17-18
God knew his people weren’t ready for the battles ahead. As we reflect on this, it becomes clear that they needed to grow in trust and dependence before receiving the blessing the Lord had planned for them.
God led them through preparation and training, knowing what they needed for success. Still, the Israelites didn’t see the purpose: they instead complained and wanted to return to Egypt rather than face the unknown. So, when the promised land didn’t arrive as expected, their faith wavered. They preferred familiar slavery over unknown blessings.
Too often, we follow in the footsteps of the Israelites and get comfortable in something that was either never meant for our lives or meant only for a period of time. When God shows us the new path He desires for our lives, we resist moving forward because of the unknown or even hard work that lies ahead, and choose to stay where we’re at, even if it means a continued life of bondage, slavery, or a life that is less than what God designed us for.
We all experience seasons of preparation, yet often miss their purpose, focusing on resistance rather than on what God is teaching us. I’ve found myself there too, staying longer than needed in these seasons because I didn’t see God’s purpose.
The Israelites didn’t realize the season they were in. Although freed from Pharaoh’s grasp, this new season was challenging yet had the potential to bring immense growth. They saw the impossible become possible as God parted the Red Sea, experienced protection when Pharaoh’s army was stopped in the water, received provision through manna and water from the rock, and learned to trust as God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. Each sign built their character, showed God’s control, and revealed their identity as belonging to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Exodus 3:8 tells us, “And after a year of preparation, God brought them to the land filled with milk and honey”.
The preparation season was coming to an end, and the final test was at hand: were they ready? As we consider this, we need to remember that every season has an end. The real question is: are we ready to move into the next season, or are we still stuck and not moving toward where God wants to take us?
God knew they would overtake Jericho with his help. God knew they would overcome and win. God knew they would become victors, and all the preparation and hardships they endured in the desert would be for this moment, IF the Israelite’s recognized and stepped into what God was calling them to. However, the Israelite’s hadn’t recognized which season they were in, so they didn’t grow as God intended. They didn’t let the identity of who they were and whose they were take root in their hearts and minds, and because they didn't recognize and grasp what the Lord was doing, a massive consequence took place.
Their first exposure to the promised land is recorded in Numbers 13. In this chapter, God commanded Moses to send spies out into the land of Canaan, which God stated he was giving to the Israelites. The Israelites had God’s promise that he was giving them the land BEFORE they sent spies into the land. However, when the spies returned, they spoke of how prosperous and fruitful the land was, BUT also of the challenges that lay ahead. Giants and grasshoppers.... “We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:33
“It wasn't the giants in the land that kept them out of God's promises. It was the grasshopper in their heads." - Craig Cooney. The Israelites viewed themselves as insignificant, not growing during their preparation. Missing their window, they failed to embrace their new identity and spent 40 more years in the desert, missing the promise.
This leads me to ask:
What season are you in right now?
Where might God want to prune and grow you for the battles ahead?
Have you felt the Lord leading you to something new, but have resisted due to the unknown and possible work that lies ahead?
Tests are unavoidable, but are you noticing God’s work in you leading up to them?
The Israelites thought their first year was the battle, but in reality, it was actually the training. Though difficult and not as they imagined, it wasn't the ultimate test God knew they’d face.
Wilderness seasons may feel like a battle, but they are often necessary training to prepare us to enter our promised land.
Are we letting the Lord prune us, shape our identity, and grow our trust in him during the wilderness seasons?
Are we staying longer in preparation, missing what he’s providing and teaching, yearning to go back to or stay in the old because of fear of the unknown?
Do we recognize and embrace God during these seasons, or do we allow challenges to distract us from His greater purpose?
How might our outlook and readiness change if we truly saw preparation as God's intentional way of equipping us for His promises?
What step can you take today to lean into the preparation season and become fully ready for what God has ahead? When we do, we gain hope, trust, and readiness, confident that God's plan is to bless us.
PRAYER: God, I thank you for the seasons of preparation. Forgive me when I have resisted them, complained, dragged my feet, walked in fear, and focused on hardship instead of what you were trying to teach me. Lord, my eyes are open now. My spirit is aligned with you. I welcome the testing, because tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. I know the pruning, refining, and strengthening are needed for the real battle before the promise. Lord, I declare that my family and I have authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions, over all the power of the evil one. Nothing shall harm us. We are strong and courageous, full of faith and unafraid, for you are with us and go before us wherever we go.
Praying for you all!
Julie
