If you’ve ever watched a dog learn to “stay,” then you have likely seen the owner walk away and return. When the owner is almost back with the reward, the dog inevitably decides to break the “stay.” The dog was so close to the prize, and now it is time for a do over.
Moses and the Israelite people were so close to the promised land when they turned away from God’s blessing.
Numbers 13:30-33
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anakcome from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
They were so, so close. Fear and lack of faith derailed their entry into the promised land. How many times do we give up just at the point where we’ve almost made it through the temptation or trial?
Just hold on a bit longer – Jeremiah 29:11
1 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.