READING: Numbers 1-2
God is good. He protected His people in Egypt. He led them out of that country, providing resources for them as they went. He sent plagues to convince Pharaoh to let them go. He spoke to them from the mountain. He gave them His commandments and laws. He provided daily food for them. He so blessed them that perhaps as many as 2 million people (more than 603,000 males age 20 or older) had come from Abraham. The Promised Land awaited them.
And war would greet them there.
In fact, they were to count the number of warriors ready to go: “Take a census of the entire Israelite community by their clans and their ancestral houses, counting the names of every male one by one. You and Aaron are to register those who are 20 years old or more by their military divisions—everyone who can serve in Israel’s army” (Num 1:2-3).
Yes, God was leading them to the land He had promised to Abraham. Yes, the land was evidence of God’s keeping His word. Yes, it was the land flowing with milk and honey. And still it was a place of war.
You see, God was deliberately leading His people into a war. He would give them the land, but not without their being in a fight. Gaining what God had promised them would not come without a battle. More than 600,000 men would be prepared to march into a God-ordained conflict.
God’s pattern has not changed. He draws us to Him, calling us to follow Him and trust Him — all the while knowing that He is sending us into a spiritual war. We wrestle against principalities and powers (Eph 6:12), but we do not do so without God’s knowledge. Indeed, He deploys us there, reminding us that He’s the Divine Warrior.
In the war, we learn dependence on Him.
ACTION STEPS: Consider these steps today:
- Prayerfully meditate on this truth: obedience to God does not mean avoiding the war; sometimes it means trusting Him as you walk into the line of fire.
- Review the struggles you’re facing. Trust that God is teaching you dependence through them. Thank Him.
PRAYER: “Thank You, Lord, for Your leading — even when it directs us into a war. Remind us that You always have a purpose and a plan.”
TOMORROW’S READING: Numbers 3-4