The Valley of Unbelief – 5th April 2009 am
Deuteronomy 1:22-32
We are all familiar with the event that took place at Kadesh Barnea. The children of Israel are at the point of entering the Promised Land, they are at the point of great blessing. They send out 12 spies to view the land and they come to a valley – the Valley of Eschol.
This event is recorded in three places of the Bible – Numbers 14 here and in Hebrews 3&4. God warns us against unbelief Heb 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
Why is the sin of unbelief so evil? Well first of all unbelief makes God a liar and questions the dependability of His Word. Our responsibility is not to question God but to believe Him and do what He commands us to do.
Unbelief wastes time – an 11 day journey turned into 40 years of wandering and death. God did care for His people during that time of wandering, but how much more He would have done had they listened to Him in the first place.
For 10 of the spies the Valley of Eschol was a valley of Unbelief – however, 2 of those spies were in the same valley but for them it was a Valley of Faith. How then do we turn our Valley of Unbelief into a Valley of Faith?
1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
I. Our Steps Need To Be Ordered Steps – Psalm 37:23
If we are going to turn this valley of unbelief into a valley of faith, then we have to be directed by the Lord. It’s His instructions we must follow, His voice we must listen to, His orders we must obey. Our steps need to be ordered by the Lord...
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord means that the steps of a good man are directed by the Lord. Proverbs 3:5-6.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord means that the steps of a good man are guided by the Lord. Psalm 48:14 For this God is our God forever and ever. He will be our guide even unto death.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord means that the steps of a good man are led by the Lord. Psalm 25:5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
But for the Lord to direct your steps, guide your steps, or to lead you in the way you should go, there are some things we must do: we must have faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Proverbs 3:5-6
If we want our steps to be ordered by the Lord, we must be in prayer daily. 1 Thess 5:17, we must believe, read, study, meditate and obey the Word of God. Psalm 119:133 Order my steps in thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me. If we want the Lord to order our steps, we must be led and filled with the Holy Ghost. Ephesians 5:18 Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit.
Psalm 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way. Ordered means “secured, established” even if we stumble along the way God will pick us up and get us going again. He can keep us from falling
You see, when you allow the Lord to order your steps, there will be peace, there will be joy, there will be power, there will be victory.
II. Our Steps Need To Be Protected Steps – Psalm 121:3
For the traveller en route to worship in Jerusalem, there were many dangers. One of those dangers was that of falling. When verse three says that “He will not allow your foot to be moved,” that verb often translates “fall”. A person could slip and sprain an ankle, or break a leg. When was the last time you tried to walk a hundred miles through mountainous territory on a broken ankle? Get the point?
God promised his fearful journeymen that He would not “let their foot be moved”. This doesn’t mean that God forbids us from sinning. It doesn’t mean we won’t have to face sometimes dreadful consequences for our actions. It does mean that God nourishes us, not only through the harm that others would bring upon us, but even the harm we might bring upon ourselves.
Ever been to a house were they have a toddler? As soon as you enter entered you will notice that everything about that house will be dedicated to protecting their baby. There are plastic plugs in the plug sockets to keep the baby from seeing what happens when he places his little fingers in them. There’s a “baby gate” at the top and bottom of the stairs. If you try and open the kitchen cabinets you’ll struggle against the plastic hooks that stop the doors opening. There’ll be a special car seat for the baby to travel in, and a child look on the car doors.
The parents are dedicated to protecting their baby not only from others, but from themselves as well. Likewise our Heavenly Father protects us not only from evil in this world around us, but even from ourselves.
How is God able to do this? Verse four says God will neither “slumber nor sleep”. When a person is asleep, they are unconscious, unaware of what is going on around them. Many of the pagans in Old Testament days believed that their false gods occasionally slept and had to be awakened. But this is not so with God. Because He never sleeps nor slumbers, He is aware of every step you take in your life, and is able to nourish you when your foot would “slip”. He can do this because He is a full time God. Jude 24 says that our Lord “is able to keep you from falling.” Those whom God saves, He also sustains.
God knows our every weakness, He knows our every failure in life, and still He wants to use us. He knows how grouchy we can be in the mornings, the things we utter while fighting traffic, our lack of patience...He knows the fears we harbour and every dumb thing we’ve ever done.
You do not have to say, “I haven’t got the faith because... I have so little to give God. I have so many failures and weaknesses. What if I fail? What if I fall? I can’t serve Him” When you feel inadequate, God is more than adequate through you. Trust Him with your every step, follow wherever He leads, and know that “He will not let your foot be moved.”
Psalms 139:3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
III. Our Steps Need To Be Righteous Steps – Psalm 23:3
The word “paths” here means “well worn paths” or “ruts.” When sheep start exploring an exciting new path, it will lead them into trouble. Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For [it is] a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
God cares for us and because He loves us and wants us to glorify Him for his names sake. We cannot walk the paths of righteousness in our own strength. Psalms 119:133 Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.
Romans 10:17
IV. Our Steps Need To Be Joyous Steps – Psalm 16:11
The children of Israel had no faith because they had no joy – all they did was complain. They had seen so many miracles but still did not believe God, they moaned to Moses continually how they wish they were back in Egypt.
The path of life that Christ shows us here on earth today will end in even greater life when we enter Heaven. Then we will be in His presence and experience the fullness of joy. We’ve all seen the cartoons that depict Heaven – white-robed, harp playing halo wearing cloud sitters. The Bible gives no such description. In our glorified bodies we will be like Him and we will serve and worship Him for all eternity.
The pleasures of heaven will be far beyond any pleasures we have known here on earth, as we enjoy the Lord’s presence and we serve and worship Him, we’ll not be encumbered by time, physical weakness or sin.
When I was little, whenever dad would go to London he would always promise to bring me something back from Hambley’s (at that time it was one of the biggest toy shops in the world). I didn’t know what he would buy I just had faith in my dad’s promise, I couldn’t wait for those few days to pass, I looked forward to seeing him and that gave me great joy, even though I missed him when he wasn’t home.
Is Christ the Lord of your life? Do you anticipate being with Him in glory? Is Christ the joy of your life today?
V. Our Steps Need To Be Obedient Steps – Psalm 25:10
A willingness to obey is the first step toward spiritual understanding John 7:17 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
When J. Wilbur Chapman was in London, he had an opportunity to meet General Booth, who at that time was past 80 years of age. Dr. Chapman listened reverently as the old general spoke of the trials and the conflicts and the victories he had experienced.
The American evangelist then asked the general if he would disclose his secret for success. "He hesitated a second," Dr. Chapman said, "and I saw the tears come into his eyes and steal down his cheeks," and then he said, "I will tell you the secret. God has had all there was of me. There have been men with greater brains than I, men with greater opportunities; but from the day I got the poor of London on my heart, and a vision of what Jesus Christ could do with the poor of London, I made up my mind that He would have all of William Booth there was. And if there is anything of power in the Salvation Army today, it is because God has all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will, and all the influence of my life."
Dr. Chapman said he went away from that meeting with General Booth knowing "that the greatness of a man’s power is the measure of his surrender."
If we are not committed to obeying God’s Word, then there is no point in us asking for guidance. If we pray for God’s will to be done in our lives then we need to be prepared to do His will whatever or wherever it is.
VI. Our Steps Need To Be Guided Steps – Psalm 119:105
It has been said that the greatest ability is dependability, and this applies especially to the Christian life. We all want God to be faithful to us, so is it so wrong for God to expect us to be faithful to Him? Faithfulness is an evidence of faith. The reason the 10 spies were in a Valley of Unbelief is because they were unfaithful. Joshua and Caleb were in a Valley of Faith because they were faithful
Faith comes from hearing and receiving the Word of God 2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
In order to turn a valley of unbelief into a valley of faith we have to have our steps guided. Psalm 119:105 uses two familiar Biblical images here – life is a path, and God’s Word is the light that helps us follow the right path. A light on the path shows us the direction that we are heading in and a lamp shows us the next step.
The ancient world didn’t have lights and torches like we have today; the people carried a little clay dishes containing oil, and the light only illuminated the path one step ahead. We don’t see the whole path at one time, we walk by faith when we follow the Word. Each act of obedience shows us the next step, and eventually we arrive at our destination.
The Bible doesn’t unroll the whole map of life before us. If it did, we would be petrified of some of the steeper paths and darker valleys that we will have to face along the way. God did not begin with Abraham by asking him to give up his son, He began by asking him to give up his father. Only years later was that demand made of Abraham.
We live in a dark world today and it is only God’s light that can guide us. Obedience to the Word keeps us walking in the light 1 John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. [6] If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: [7] But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
