Shepherds in the Wilderness

 Sometimes we find ourselves in a wilderness situation. It could be that we brought it on ourselves because of our sins and mistakes. However, there are times when we did not do anything to cause it ourselves. It could have been caused by someone else's sins and mistakes. Yes, that is how sin works.

This was true when the people of Israel failed to obey God, and they would not enter the Promised Land. (Numbers 14:33) God told them that their sons would be shepherds in the wilderness for forty years, and they would suffer for their fathers' unfaithfulness, until their fathers perished in the wilderness. We all need to understand the effects of our sins on others.

No one sins in a vacuum. There is not a sin we can commit that doesn't hurt anyone except ourselves. Sin corrupts us, and then, we corrupt those around us. When we sin, God punishes us, and while we are receiving the consequences of our sins, others feel the negative effects in their lives, too. However, this doesn't mean God doesn't care any more.

Even the generation that died in the wilderness ate manna from the Lord every day, and God blessed them with all they needed. The children were shepherds for 40 years, but then, God gave them the Promised Land that flowed with milk and honey. Don't give up if you are suffering for the sins of your parents or others. Trust the Lord, and He will bring you into a time of great blessing because He knows what you need.

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Tomorrow, I intend to read Numbers 15-18.