Complacency

" I tried to relieve your fears: "Don't be terrified of them. God, your God, is leading the way; he's fighting for you. You saw with your own eyes what he did for you in Egypt; you saw what he did in the wilderness, how God, your God, carried you as a father carries his child, carried you the whole way until you arrived here. But now that you're here, you won't trust God, your God—this same God who goes ahead of you in your travels to scout out a place to pitch camp, a fire by night and a cloud by day to show you the way to go." Deuteronomy 1:29 (The Message)

       The people of Israel had been delivered from 400 years of oppression and slavery. They had witnessed a sea part in two to make a path for them while a cloud held their enemy at bay until they all safely crossed to the other side. Daily God provided them food from heaven to satisfy their hunger as well as fresh water to quench their thirst.

        Yet something happened to the first generation of people that cost them the ultimate prize and reward they left Egypt for. They forgot what God had done for them and focused instead on the obstacles ahead. "The Giants in the promised land would eat us alive,"...."We had it better in Egypt than here," (re: Numbers 13 and 14) and on and on the complaints went not stopping here on earth but reaching heaven to the same ears that years earlier had heard their plea for help.

         Let this story serves as a lesson to all of us. Don't let complacency kill where God intends to take you. Don't forget the places where God delivered you from. If you do, don't for one moment be surprised when you get shut out of the promised land. God has earned our trust through the years (Remember where you once were?), the least we can do is let Him lead us to a better place.