In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the people of Israel according to all that the Lord had given him in commandment to them. Deuteronomy 1:3
The generation that died in the desert believed in God. They had experienced God in the miracle of the exodus, but they acted in unbelief. Warren Wiersbe says, “Unbelief wastes time.” Forty years were lost through fear and unbelief.
So the great question in Deuteronomy is: How can people with a faith become people with a mission? How can you move from being a person with a faith to a person with a mission?
Think about the people listening to Moses less than 100 days from entering into the land of Canaan. They had all been born in the desert. They didn’t know anything else.
Now imagine you are one of them. God has been good to you. He has provided manna every day. You believe in him. You are grateful for all he has done for you. But your whole life has been shaped by the instincts and choices of your parents: They were believers, but they were so cautious, so afraid of risk. That has become defining for you.
So the only faith you have ever experienced is a faith that leaves you wandering around, experiencing God’s provision, but not doing anything to advance his purpose in the world. You’re a believer, but your life has no defining mission!
If your life is going to count for God, you need to break free from being defined by your past.
Is there anything from your past that might be holding you back from the mission that God is calling you to pursue?
