“Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.””
Numbers 14:9 NIV

When I started this series on the Do Not Fear verses, I thought they would all be almost the same thing. But I am finding that each one has its own unique circumstances and issues its own unique call, this one in particular.

The concept of God’s protection is something my husband and I have spent some time thinking about, first when my man was a float plane missionary pilot on Borneo, some of the most challenging flying in the world, (https://youtu.be/FqGqG6zbM0g?is=37dRNALZWDFVH3Pc), and then as a law enforcement officer.

As we talked about each season coming to an end and felt God’s call to move on but hesitated to actually do it, we found that we worried more and were slower to engage in what was required of us. That season, and the gracious protection the Lord had provided, were over. To continue would be disobedient, and God would get our attention somehow.

This isn’t to say at all that any time something is going wrong it is because we are disobedient. This is just simply to say that any time we want to stick with the familiar instead of following where God is leading, we are not in God’s will.

So how do we know if we are meant to persevere through a challenge or if a season is coming to a close? I wish there was a cut and dry answer for this, but our relational God didn’t design things that way.

The only way to know God’s will is to spend time with Him in prayer, time in His Word, and seeking wise counsel. As C.S. Lewis put it, God draws us “farther up and farther in,” and as our faith grows, we move more confidently the next time.

What do you think? What is God teaching you?