There’s this moment in the wilderness where the Israelites are on the cusp of taking the Promised Land (Numbers 13).  Moses has sent out 12 spies, and they have come back from scouting out the land and confirmed that the land is flowing with milk and honey.  They’ve even brought back a giant cluster of grapes that had to be carried on a pole between two men. 

And Caleb, one of the spies, says to Moses, “Let’s go up and take the land – now. We can do it.” (Numbers 13:30 MSG).

But he’s interrupted by the other spies, who say, “We can’t attack those people; they’re way stronger than we are… We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge… Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers.” (Numbers 13:31-33 MSG)

This causes a great uproar in the camp, and the Israelites want to elect a leader to return to Egypt.  This, in turn, puts God into an uproar.  God wants to blot them all out, but Moses intercedes on their behalf.  Begs God to forgive them.

God responds, “I forgive them, honoring your words.” (Numbers 14:20a MSG)

The Israelites are then sentenced to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.  And how do they respond?

“We’re here; we’re ready – let’s go up and attack the land that God promised us. We sinned, but now we’re ready.” (Numbers 14:40 MSG)

“But Moses said, ‘Why are you crossing God’s command yet again? This won’t work. Don’t attack. God isn’t with you in this – you’ll be beaten badly by your enemies. The Amalekites and Canaanites are ready for you and they’ll kill you.’” (Numbers 14:41-43a MSG)

And they were beaten badly…

Everyone loves a good “famous last words” quote or moment.  When someone is about to do something stupid, there’s always that one person that jokes “hold my beer, watch this,” before they go off and do something stupid.  It always ends poorly.  This moment with the Israelites is one of these moments – “Hey God, hold my beer, watch this.”  

It’s easy from where we’re sitting with the gift of hindsight to see the folly in the Israelites’ actions.  Yet, it’s not as easy when it’s you. When you’re in the thick of it.  When you’re the one making the decision.  When you’re the one faced with giants.  When you’re the one overcoming insecurities and doubts.  When you’re the one discerning right from wrong.  When you’re faced with an army or another wilderness season.  When you’re the one discerning between your wants and God’s plan.

We don’t always see the folly in our own decisions until we look back on it because trusting God should be that easy, yet - and it’s a big "yet" – we overcomplicate it.

I think what God does next is so important – He could have done any number of things to wipe them off the face of the earth.  He could have consumed them in fire.  He could have let the earth swallow them up.  He could have washed them away in a flood.  The possibilities are likely beyond my imagination or yours. 

He didn’t. 

He didn’t do any of those things.  Instead, He simply asked them to return to the wilderness. Why? 

Yes, it was a consequence.  It was also so much more than that.  God loved them too much to leave them in their disbelief of Him.  He took them back to the wilderness so they would learn to abide in Him.

After our “Hey God, hold my beer, watch this” moments, God takes us back to the wilderness.  And like the Israelites, we resist those wilderness moments.  We say, “We’re here, we’re ready – let’s go…” He knows, though.  We’re not.  We need more time in the wilderness.  Why? 

I love what Priscilla Shirer said in her book ‘I Surrender All’ about bringing you back to the last place you heard God. It is “…to reorient yourself to the lessons He has already revealed to you. Allow time for the deep work of the Holy Spirit to strengthen and sustain you there. Cultivate a friendship with Jesus right there.”

God is going to cultivate His relationship with you in that wilderness season.  He is going to strengthen you in that wilderness season.  He is going to sustain you in that wilderness season.  He is going to grow you in that wilderness season.  He is going to teach you the importance of surrender in that wilderness season because He loves you. 

You can’t take the next step toward your promise till you know Him.  You can’t know Him till you have spent some time in the wilderness with Him.

When you have honestly spent time with Him in the wilderness, you can lay down all those things you carry and surrender to those dreams and plans He planted in your heart for your life, and what He does next is worth the wilderness season. 

See, the Israelites got to the edge of their Promised Land and they had seen all of these signs and wonders coming out of Egypt into the wilderness, but they didn’t know their God yet, so God brought them back to where they could abide in Him.

Where in your life are you saying, “Hey God, hold my beer, watch this” to?

Where in your life is God calling you back to the wilderness?