At the Edge of a Promise

"Then all the congregation raised a loud cry, and the people wept that night. And all the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The whole congregation said to them, 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt?' And they said to one another, 'Let us choose a leader and go back to Egypt.' Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the people of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, 'The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.' Then all the congregation said to stone them with stones. But the glory of the Lord appeared at the tent of meeting to all the people of Israel."— Numbers 14:1-10 (ESV)

The Israelites stood at the threshold of the Promised Land, the place God had long prepared for them.

Before entering, Moses sent twelve spies to scout the land (Numbers 13). For forty days, they explored Canaan—observing the land’s richness, its people, and its fortified cities.

When they returned, their reports were divided:

• Joshua and Caleb spoke faith:

  • "The land we explored is exceedingly good! If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into it. Do not fear the people, for their protection is gone, and the Lord is with us." (Numbers 14:7-9)

• The other ten spies spoke fear:

  • "They are stronger than we are." (Numbers 13:32)"We seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." (Numbers 13:33)

Instead of trusting God’s promise, the people believed their circumstances, or more accurately, in the negative reports spoken over this circumstances-despite never having seen them firsthand. It started with focusing on their own insecurities ("we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers") which fueled their doubt in God. They wept all night, accused God of bringing them to die by the sword, and even considered returning to Egypt—the very place they had begged God to free them from. Their fear led them to reject the promise before they had even stepped into it. This is where we find them in Numbers 14, standing at the edge of what could have been their victory—but standing in total despair instead. The Israelites stood at the threshold of their promise, close enough to see it, close enough to taste the goodness of what lay ahead. But instead of stepping forward in faith, they froze in fear. Instead of remembering God’s faithfulness, they let doubt reshape their reality.

And with those words in Numbers 13:32-33, which the majority of their leaders spoke, fear won. It led them to turn against the very ones who carried faith and called them to a higher perspective. This moment should have been a joyous rallying cry- a declaration of trust and confidence in God and His promises and instead it became a place of shattered hope, not because of their circumstances but because of the thoughts they chose to nurture.

It’s easy to shake our heads at them. To wonder how they could be so blind, so forgetful, so quick to trade freedom for fear. And yet… how often do we do the same?

What If the Battle Isn't What We Think It Is?

The Israelites' greatest battle wasn't against giants or fortified cities.

Their battle was in their own minds.

It was never about their circumstances—it was about their faith.

And isn’t that true for us, too? We look at our own promised lands—the callings, the dreams, the places God has set before us—and we hesitate.

We hear the whispers: "You’re too small for this.""It’s too risky.""What if you fail?""Wouldn’t it be easier to go back to what you know?"

Or even worse, we level up and let them fuel our misgivings of God: "Is He really for you?" "He wouldn't say that""No way that this circumstance can turn good.""He doesn't care, you'll be abandoned for sure."

And suddenly, we’re standing at the edge of our promise not with faith, but with fear.

So what do we do?

Discerning Between Fear and Faith

"Like a dog that returns to his vomit is a fool who repeats his folly." Proverbs 26:11 (ESV)

How do we discern whether we are walking in faith into what the Lord is speaking or repeating past mistakes?

We can start by asking:

1. Does it lead to deeper faith—stretching our limitations for what God can do?

• When God speaks, it requires the miraculous.

• It is beyond our control, not because we are incapable, but because only He can bring it to pass.

• “God, this is impossible—it would take You to accomplish it, so I must submit it to You” is usually in or behind our thought pattern.

• Do I feel an initial pushback of doubt with this promise because it’s outside of my control?

OR...

2. Am I arguing with God, trying to convince Him how much sense this makes?

• When it is our own will, we often plead or demand for it to happen, questioning His character, ability, and goodness if He does not enact it. This is not faith—it is manipulation. 

• "If You don’t do X, then You’re not good" is usually found in or behind our thought pattern.

• Am I demanding that He act according to my expectations because it's the only way I can see it happening?

Faith listens and obeys; Presumption dictates and tests.

Faith trusts God’s timing and method. Faith believes He is good, even when we can’t see the outcome.

Consider Abraham and Isaac—Abraham believed both in God’s promise and in His faithfulness, even when he was asked to lay down what had been given to him.

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”— Romans 4:20-22 (ESV)

That’s the kind of faith that walks into promises.

That’s the kind of faith that doesn’t turn back.

Lies are easier to believe than truth.

But the real battle isn’t in our circumstances.

The real battle is in our minds.

What we dwell on shapes our response:

• Fear leads to rebellion, where we turn back into our familiar bondage and forsake trusting the character of God.

• Trust leads to obedience, where control is replaced with submission and fear with peace as we press into the faithfulness of God over our lives.

Fear is sneaky.

Sometimes, we don’t even realize we are rejecting the promise before we’ve even stepped into it.

So how can you tell if you’re not trusting in the promises of God?

1. You lament your circumstances before you've even seen them through.

   • You speak as if defeat is inevitable, even before anything has happened.

   • You convince yourself it won’t work before giving God the chance to move.

2. You tear down those calling you to greater faith.

   • You push back against encouragement and correction.

   • You resist those who are speaking life, truth, and faith over you.

3. You won’t let God speak into it.

   • You pre-answer for Him, assuming what He will or won’t do.

   • You start to glamorize old patterns or past bondage—convincing yourself that what was familiar was better than stepping into the unknown.

When the Israelites rejected the Promised Land, they weren’t just afraid—they had already convinced themselves of failure. But faith does the opposite.

Faith says:"God, I don’t see how this will work—but I trust You anyway."

The Israelites chose fear, but we don't have to repeat their folly.

The change is simple: pray and ask God for a reset - ask Him to strengthen your faith and to provide joy in the present. Ask forgiveness for the doubt and declare your trust in HIM over whatever is currently challenging that. And finally, rejoice knowing your good Father will not leave you in defeat, but can work all things out for His good purpose (Romans 8:28-29).

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.— Philippians 4:4-7 (ESV)

The greatest battle isn't what's in front of you.The greatest battle is within. And God has already won both, we just have to place our trust in Him.