Oh no!!!
None of us find ourselves immune to trouble. It comes whether we want it to or not. The list of worries and concerns is lengthy. It may be that you have received bad news from a recent medical test. Perhaps you are dealing with the betrayal of a trusted friend. Sometimes the principal calls and tells us that one’s “little angel” is not acting correctly at school. Other times it may be the heart ache of unfaithful spouse. You fill in the blank; what is on the horizon that you are facing that is bringing anxiety. The question is what are you going to do. It seems as though there could be two options: forge ahead on your own or turn to God.
When you or I try to face all of our troubles alone, it is usually not a good idea. I believe it can lead to bad behavior patterns. We may even find ourselves blaming God and retreating into defeat. Why not start by trusting in God to be a source of help, a shoulder to lean on. When we fail to trust in God to help, to guide we may find ourselves in a similar situation that the Israelites found themselves in. For the Israelites they wound up spinning out of control and into despair. Their story is a familiar story. The spies had entered the promise land and had brought back a report of intimidating giants and dangers ahead. They did not see any way they could deal with the problem ahead of them. In Numbers 13:31-33 we find the spies reporting and they use the pronoun “we” seven times in the short three verses. You know as well as I who they left out. There is no reference to the Lord. Think for a moment where they were when this “Oh No!” situation arose. The Israelites were on the cusp of the ultimate blessing that God had promised to them. They had been eyewitnesses to the miracles in Egypt. Their feet had walked the dry bottom of the Red Sea—what a jaw-dropping victory that was. There should have be no question in their minds that God’s faithfulness had been amazingly evident. I always ask at this point of the story, “what happened!” It seems as though the Israelites had very short memories. What disappointing faithlessness! Sadly, oh so sadly, they turned their backs on God and left this great blessing behind.
The other option-turning to God is seen in the example of Joshua and Caleb. They had the faith to turn to the Lord with this confident statement; “The Lord is with us” (Numbers 14:9). It is an eye opening story of trying to deal with matters alone and dealing with matters with the help of God. I recently saw this quote that I find applicable to the story; “God’s presence is a life preserver that keeps the soul from sinking in a sea of trouble.” When the “oh knows” of life come why not put on that life preserver to help you through those difficult times.
