Week 6 - Wandering

I must admit -- sometimes I am a pessimist, and after reading chapter 6 of The Story it doesn't help! Seems that at every turn the people are messing up, making God angry, and suffering some catastrophic plague. I feel like I'm on a treasure hunt like Indiana Jones in some dark cave and seeing corpses of men who have failed all around me. The secret traps have fallen them all. If they couldn’t do it then how do I expect to make through the twists and turns of life?

Am I, are we all, doomed to failure?

But in the darkness of these wandering years I spy a few glimmers of hope.

Joshua and Caleb!

When everyone else seems scared and faithless these two are beacons of hope!

"We can do it"
"Let's not be afraid"
"God is with us"

When it seems like the darkness of doubt has overwhelmed everyone these two make me believe that perhaps failure is not the only option. Certainly an option that many have chosen, but not the only option!

And then there's this unsung hero, Phinehas. The grandson of Aaron impales a Jewish man and a Moabite woman who are apparently flaunting their immorality right there in the Hebrew's camp. For his courage, God calls off the plague brought on by their idolatry and immorality and Phinehas is hailed as an up-and-coming star!

Not all is lost. There is hope. It can be done. We don’t have to perish in the wilderness.

The glass may be half empty during the 40 years of wandering but Joshua, Caleb, and Phinehas fill up my cup just enough to believe that I can make it to the Promised Land!