“When fear knocks. Send faith to answer.”

We love our vacation spot in Mammoth, CA. When it’s our turn to use the cabin, we can’t wait to get there and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. Even though it’s a long and often times hot 6-hour drive, the joy of being there is real and tangible.

It was the same with the nation of Israel. First understand, the whole earth belongs to God. He can give it to whomever He wants for His purposes. And second, it wasn’t Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses or even Joshua who picked out their homeland. God and God alone did.

With this in mind, when it came time to enjoy the freedom God gave and the future He had for them, the Israelites didn’t want it! The joy of being rescued from slavery wasn’t big enough to overcome the challenges of the journey to take it.

Joshua had to encourage them to go for it when he said, “How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (Joshua 18:3)

Are we like many of the Israelites of that day, who, though freed from slavery, hesitate to walk into the freedoms God has for us?

Jesus set us free! (Gal. 5:1) The Father took out the major players – Satan and death – through Jesus’ death on the cross. Therefore, we don’t have to stay stuck where we are.

Because Jesus rose from the grave, we have a bright future, starting now. We can experience life’s cool breezes, wonderful serenity and nature’s quietness despite the chaos and heat going on around us.

The Spirit wants to encourage you. Don’t wait until tomorrow to enjoy what He is offering you today – peace, life, and joy. Despite what you are currently facing, choose to experience what those words actually mean, now, in this very moment.