Commentary on "Caleb: Living With the Wait"

ROSS COOPER

 

Day 2: Sunday, October 3, 2010 - The "Facts"

 

Living by faith and not by sight is one of the keys of Christian living. It is what we are called to do, and it goes almost entirely against our nature. We generally like to see things before we put our faith in them; we like to test things before we put our trust in them.

Two Sundays ago I went on my first zip line, the line for it was rather long but it gave me a chance to see everything as I waited. I saw how the people in front of me were given helmets and told carefully how to step into harnesses. Those in charge of the zip line then tightened those harnesses so they fit snugly, then people would climb the stairs to the platform.

Once I made it to the top of the platform I was first attached to a line running along the length of the platform so I could walk to my zip line while safely attached. Then the transfer was made to the zip line, just by looking at the rig I had faith in its construction. And having seen all those people go safely before me at the end of the countdown I had the faith to step off of platform.

Some of us live in places where the air is visible because of pollution, but if we don’t see the air it is exceedingly unlikely that we’ll refuse to breathe. You can’t last very long if you don’t trust that the air is there.

In the passage from Numbers 13:26-14:2 we see that Caleb (along with Joshua) is trusting in a God he cannot always see to give him and the Israelite nation the victory. He has seen God work miracles and knows and understands that if they place their faith in God that He will give them the land He has promised them.

However the majority gives a report that while the land is fertile as promised, the people in the land are strong and unbeatable. There’s no way they can take this land. They’ve forgotten all that God has done to get them to this place; even though they’ve seen God’s sustaining work in their lives, they forget when the going seems to get tough.

How we interpret what we see is essential to how we live our lives, and our emotions can have a huge impact on our choices and actions. While it is very important to read our Bibles and have a distinct and active prayer life, that isn’t enough. What is needed is, in fact, God in your life.

In the quarterly it mentions facing the “facts” without God’s WORD can lead to misinterpretations, and a walk away from God. This is very true. However, it becomes a non-issue when you realize that because of sin you are a total failure. You must repent and give your life over to God. Once that happens, something that God promised to us through the blood of Jesus happens.

John 14:16: I will ask the Father to give you another Helper, to be with you always.

John 14:17: He is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, for it neither sees him nor recognizes him. But you recognize him, for he abides with you and will be in you.

John 14:18: I am not going to forsake you like orphans. I will come back to you.

John 14:19: "In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live also.

John 14:20: On that day you will know that I am in my Father and that you are in me and that I am in you

(Emphasis mine)

The Holy Spirit is supposed to be in you. He is the Comforter, the Spirit of truth. To deny the working of the Holy Spirit in you is like trying to deny the power of God working in your life, and too many people do just that. I myself did that for a very long time.

When the Holy Spirit—God himself —is in you, you will have a much less problematic time walking in faith and not by sight.

You won’t need to worry about trusting God via the Holy Spirit who’s outside of you; you can rely on the Holy Spirit that will take residence in you.

 

Summary

1. We are called to live by faith, not by sight.
2. We are to trust God because of His promises, not because of our circumstances.
3. The Holy Spirit is supposed to be in us.
4. When the Holy Spirit resides in us, we will finally be able to walk by faith and not by sight.
5. We no longer rely on an EXTERNAL Holy Spirit; we rely on the One who indwells us.

 

GO TO DAY 3

 

Copyright 2010 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised October 2, 2010. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.

The Sabbath School Bible Study Guide and the corresponding E.G. White Notes are published by Pacific Press Publishing Association, which is owned and operated by the Seventh-day Adventist church. The current quarter's editions are pictured above.

 

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