TITLE: A Heart of Contempt??
DATE: March 12, 2011
SCRIPTURE: Numbers 14:23
“Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one has treated me with contempt will ever see it.”
OBSERVATION: What a terrifying scripture! God said He would fulfill His covenant made with Abraham in each of our lives. But this verse lists one exception. He will not fulfill His fulfill His promise to one group – those with an attitude of contempt. Contempt means “looking at another as inferior, base or worthless.” God doesn’t say He withholds blessings from the unbelieving or fearful, but one who views Him with contempt.
APPLICATION: I don’t feel I look at God in this way, but, then, I suppose, all of Israel could have had the same feeling. What shocked me about this verse is that it is linked to disbelief which kept Israel from entering the promised land. To act with a lack of faith is to express contempt toward God, according to this verse. So, whenever, I cannot trust Him enough, I am on the threshold of a very serious attitude that kept Israel out of the land, which was contempt toward God – considering God “inferior, base or worthless”. I’ve never seen unbelief from that viewpoint and prompts me to serious self-examination to keep my heart right.
PRAYER: “Help me examine the inner workings of my heart not just my visible actions and keep my attitude healthy and right before You.”
This is really good. This gives reason to why faith is so important to God and unbelief so serious. This is a great tool for me to examine my heart.
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