When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they all knew God’s intention.
Moses would lead them to a new land promised to their fathers. After crossing the Red Sea, everything goes great for about a year. Cue the complaints.
Moses would lead them to a new land promised to their fathers. After crossing the Red Sea, everything goes great for about a year. Cue the complaints.
There wasn’t enough food, not enough water. The final straw? They’d have to fight the giants in Canaan. Shaking in their shoes, the Israel nation decided that God could not help them.
Their lack of faith resulted in the decree that “all your number, numbered from 20 years old and up ward, who have murmured against me, not one shall come into the land where I swore that I would make you dwell…” (Numbers 14:29-30)
Now forty years is a long time, and I’m sure that some of the people forgot why they were marching around the desert in an aimless loop. Besides, God wouldn’t really forsake them, would he?
“Hey Moses!” the old Israelite cries. “How come we’re not at the Promised Land yet?
I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this sand dune before. The family’s getting worried. What’s the deal?”
Moses stands there, calmly stroking his beard. “Well, I’ve got some Good News and some Bad News. First, the Good News: Your family will enter the Promised Land.”
Smiling with joy, the Israelite exclaims, “That’s great! Exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve got to go and tell the family! But wait…there’s some Bad News?”
“You have to die first.”
“Oh, is that all? Ok, I’ve got to run… Wait. WHAT DID YOU SAY? I think I heard you wrong.”
Moses calls over his brother. “Aaron! Come over here. Time to play ‘Good Cop, Bad Cop’ again.” Aaron comes, but he’s not happy about it. Moses always gets to play the ‘Good Cop’ and Aaron doesn’t think that’s fair. You know how brothers are.
The old Israelite repeats his question: “Are we going to get to the Promised Land?”
Good Cop says, “Your family will enter the Promised Land.” The elderly Israelite feels vindicated. “Finally, a straight answer!”
“Quiet now.” Moses says. ”Aaron has something to say.”
Aaron looks at his Israelite brother with love and says: “You’ll have to die first.”
It’s a universal truth. No matter how many times or ways we ask the question, the answer is yes, we’ll reach the Promised Land. But we have to die first. It’s going to cost something to live with the Lord.
Now we will have to physically die at some point to reach heaven. But what about today?
Now we will have to physically die at some point to reach heaven. But what about today?
Each day, as alarms go off, and feet hit the floor, every person in the world has the opportunity to reach the Promised Land in their own life. Today. It’s going to require dying to self. It’s that death that allows the new life.
So tomorrow, as teeth are brushed and the coffeemaker heats, we can decide to live in heaven for the day. Yes, we can make it to the Promised Land.
But like Aaron said, we’ll have to die first.
Linking today with: Faith Filled Friday , Friday Five Fellowship
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galatians 2:20)
It’s the first thing that came to my mind when I read your post. And even our dying requires the strength of the Holy Spirit.
Oh Lord, tomorrow may I live in the Promised Land…
GOD BLESS!
Hi Sharon! That is a perfect Scripture for the theme of dying to self. Thank you! I love that. And you are so right, I’m not going to die to myself without help. Come Holy Spirit!
I hope we’ll both make it to the Promised Land today.
Thank you for visiting!
Ceil
WOW, Ceil. Very powerful post today. Have a blessed day.
Hi Linda! Thank you for your comment. I think it is Good News that we can be in heaven with him in our day. I know he’ll give me the grace to walk with him today.
Have a great weekend!
Ceil
Ceil – Funny that you wrote on this passage. For the last few days, I have been thinking about (& shared with others) how grumbling (how Scripture puts it) kept God’s people from their promiseland. We don’t think often enough about how offensive our complaining is to Him. Thank you for sharing your thoughts today! So appreciated this post.
Blessings,
Joanne
Hi Joanne! The Israelites wandering has a lot of food for thought in it. Certainly constant grumbling is not a good attitude to take. And it stops them from enjoying the wonders they experienced all along the way. They had a chance to cooperate with God, to live with him on their way. But they chose their own way.
I hope that I can live in the Promised Land with him today!
Nice to see you here
Ceil
Yes, Ceil! We should die to self everyday! We should walk in the spirit and not in the flesh! ROMANS 8….tells this beautifully! This is a WORD for us everyday indeed….love it! Blessings~~~Roxie
Hi Roxie! I looked Romans 8, and here is one line “So then, my brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves…” That is so perfect for this post today!
We do have to die to ourselves every day, so we can live with The Lord. And the Spirit is with us to help. God is good!
Have a good weekend, Roxie!
Ceil
A beautifully illustrated Truth about the need to die to self first and live in obedience to God’s Word. Loved it, Ceil!
Hi Dianna! Thank you for your kind comment. Easy to say and hard to do, that’s for sure. It takes dedication every day. I hope I’ll live with The Lord today!
Happy Weekend, my friend!
Ceil
Dying to self? Oh how we drag our feet on this one …
Hi Linda! (How is the break going??)
You are so right. At least I do. I know its a struggle everyday, but if I can accept the help of the Spirit, then I can be in heaven with him today. That’s what I’m trying to aim for!
Thank you for coming over today. I hope your Nov. is a restful one!
Ceil
mmm, Ceil … I can’t decide if I’m chomping at the bit to get back to blogging … or if I like being a lady of leisure!
;-}
But I am aiming to be back in the saddle on December 1st!
Hi Ceil,
One of the scriptures that has always helped me to try to die to self is ‘Take every thought captive and bring it into obedience to Christ’. It is amazing how the old man will try to resurrect itself sometimes. Good thing the Holy Spirit brings scripture to our remembrance.
God bless
Hi Brenda! That’s a good Scripture to remember…that would ensure that I was moving through the day with The Lord, wouldn’t it? I love that, thank you!
And yes, I’m so thankful to the Spirit. Without that power, I would be lost. God is so good!
Thank you for your faithful visits Brenda. I so enjoy your comments.
Have a good weekend!
Ceil
Wednesday I woke up and was full of fear. my entire day was “fear and grumbling”. Thursday morning I could see the promise of a new day and I died to myself and let the the Lord lead. It turned out to be a wonderful day! Your post made me really ponder this and realize how dying to yourself can bring you into the Promised Land! Thanks Ceil, you’re such a blessing!
Hi Monica! I’m so glad you day got better, and you could enjoy it! Dying to self is really hard, some days are harder than others. I think as long as we are trying, we’ll be ok!
Thank you for your supportive comments, I really appreciate it! You made my day
Have a blessed weekend!
Ceil
Visiting from Faith-Filled Friday. I love your post! I am doing a series on the Exodus {Wilderness Wanderings} on my blog. The story of the Exodus has become near and dear to my heart. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!
Hi Debbie! So nice to meet you through the blog-hop today!
I did jump over to your blog, so nice to visit. And I can see why Exodus is a great subject to reflect on. So much going on there. The key is staying with the Lord, or at least trying to!
Hope you have a blessed weekend!
Ceil
Love this, Ceil! Your post is a great way to reinforce that great truth that we must die daily. I think most days we don’t even think about it …
Anyway, good job!
Hi Jerralea! Thank you for your encouraging comment, I really appreciate it. I would agree that I don’t think about it as much as I should. But I’m going to start trying to do it more!
Have a blessed weekend!
Ceil
It’s been too long since I visited you! Loved this post! What a parallel I had never seen before. Thank you so much for this insight- it’s amazing how much better a day can be when we die at the beginning of it;)
Hi LR! And I’ll be coming over to visit you too! Thank you for your comments, and I love your thought about a better day through dying at the beginning of it! You understood the idea in the post perfectly
Good to see you again! Have a wonderful weekend,
Ceil
I have an award for you! Swing by and grab it!
Hi MM! Thank you for naming me to your Sunshine Award list! I’ll definitely mention you in a post to follow!
I thank you for including me on your list
You are my Sunshine too!
Ceil
Oh boy do we like the sound of the promise land but we often forget the high cost to reach it don’t we Ceil.
Hi Wanda! No kidding. But, it is attainable! It just requires me to think less of me, and more of others. I think that’s what dying to self means. Not easy!
Thank you again for putting me on your list of Friday Five’s. Such an honor!
Blessings on your weekend, hope you feel better soon,
Ceil
Good analogy! My husband and I have been discussing this topic – entering the Promised Land. Will have to mention this to him.
Thanks and blessings,
Karen
Hi Karen! Thank you! And I hope you had a happy Writers Day
How wonderful that you and your husband can discuss things like the Promised Land. That really is a blessing.
Thank you for visiting today! I always welcome your input.
Have a good weekend
Ceil
Dying to self – a project I work on daily. Have a great weekend Ceil. Thank you for your continued lovely insights : )
Hi Mindy! You and me both, my friend. Yikes, it never ends. Oh well, God knows me very well and will help me I know.
We’ll both have a great weekend, how about that? Thanks for your visit today. It’s always good to see your smiling face
Ceil
Wow Ceil. Powerful words. I made a commitment to “die” daily a while ago. My day starts with Christ… I can’t function when it’s any other way. It helps me put Him in perspective. He is my focus, every day for the rest of my life.
Wishing you a blessed weekend.
xoxo
Hi Jennifer! I want to be more like you then. I am terrible at denying myself. I know I have to do it, and serve others with joy!
I love how you say your day starts with Christ. And that he is your focus…wonderful. You have so much to teach me! And you are full of Hope and Grace. I love that
Blessings on your weekend, my friend!
Ceil
Yet another great thought-provoking post. Thank you Ceil.
You know … I think when they were in the desert going round in circles Mrs Moses did ask for directions. But Moses, being a man, would not listen.
God bless.
Hi Victor! You are just too funny, what a comment!
I’m sure that’s another reason Aaron had a bad attitude. He kept getting bugged by Mrs. Moses too. Life is complicated sometimes…
Thanks for the smile my friend!
Ceil
I like the way you present things, Ceil
Great post!
Hi Mary! Thank you! and thanks for coming and reading several posts and commenting on each of them. That is so kind of you. It’s great to reconnect
Have a good weekend!
Ceil
Yep! Taking up our cross daily and dying to self. A cross that symbolizes of the cross of Christ and what He did for me so many years ago. This is a fresh thought in my heart and mind today. Blessings, Ceil! Love, Rachael @ Inking the Heart
Hi Rachael! Taking up the cross…that’s it. Dying to self, taking up our crosses. That’s an excellent thought. Thank you!
And thank you for your visit today. Nice to see you
Ceil
Great post, Ceil! Moses must indeed have had the patience of a saint. Dying daily is not easy, but the only way to experience the best, most abundant life God has promised us. And, praise God, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord!
God bless,
Laurie
Hi Laurie! Thank you for your kind comment! Boy, no kidding it’s hard. And it’s a daily thing, a morning promise to walk with God and his people.
You are so right, that’s where the real life is!
Thank you for your visit today
Ceil
Oh, Ceil, I am so glad I finally made it over here to read this post. What a good word! (Hard though, right? Because I am a selfish miser!).
I was blessed to link up after you over at Faith-Filled Friday.
Hi Lyli! You have been busy, and I’m impressed that you are dedicating yourself to catching up! I’m glad you liked the post
I have trouble with the dying part too, that’s how I could have such insight into the struggle, LOL!
Hope this week is a good one for you my friend,
Ceil