How can we apply the concept of moving forward in our spiritual walk? Scripture Deuteronomy 2:13: “And the LORD said, ‘Now get up and cross the Wadi Zered.’ So we crossed the Wadi Zered.” What Was Happening • Israel had spent nearly forty years circling the desert because of unbelief • The older generation was dying off, just as God said (Numbers 14:29-35) • At the right moment God spoke a clear, literal command: rise up and move on • Obedience meant leaving familiar sand, trusting the Lord’s next stage, and physically stepping across a real boundary Timeless Truths About Moving Forward • God initiates forward movement; our part is immediate obedience • Progress often begins with a decisive break from patterns of unbelief • The Lord never calls us forward without promising His presence (Exodus 33:14) • Movement is directional: away from wandering, toward inheritance • Delayed obedience is disobedience; Israel crossed the same day they were told Living It Out Today • Start each day by acknowledging Christ’s lordship; stand up spiritually before anything else • Cross your Wadi Zered—identify one area of stagnation and act in faith this week • Replace nostalgia with hope; thank God for lessons learned but refuse to camp in yesterday’s victories or failures • Cultivate daily habits that keep your feet moving: regular Scripture intake, consistent prayer, corporate worship, and deliberate service • Guard against grumbling; Israelites moved forward when they stopped rehearsing past complaints • Encourage fellow believers on the journey; the entire nation crossed together Linked Passages That Reinforce the Call to Move Ahead • Philippians 3:13-14—“Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal” • Isaiah 43:18-19—“Do not remember the former things … See, I am doing a new thing” • Hebrews 12:1-2—“Let us run with endurance the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus” • Luke 9:62—“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God” • Joshua 3:3-4—The Ark moves first, the people follow across the Jordan Closing Thoughts The same God who once said, “Get up and cross the Wadi Zered,” still speaks through His infallible Word. Obeying promptly, trusting fully, and stepping decisively keep believers from circling deserts and move us steadily toward the fullness of God’s promises. |
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