Yesterday, I asked our young people if they believe their parents know what is best for them. When I was young, it was difficult for me to believe this to be true when it came to the importance of eating my vegetables. I would reason, “How could something that tasted bad be good for me.” In time, however, I acquired a taste for many different types of vegetables and learned that eating vegetables positively affects my physical condition. If parents make decisions that are in a young person’s best interest, how much more is this true of our Heavenly Father? At times we may question His working in our lives and whether it is for our good, but we must in faith believe that it is. Paul affirms in Romans 8:28, "All things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
During their time in the wilderness, the Jewish people questioned God's goodness after hearing the report about the powerful men who were currently dwelling in the land God had promised the Israelites. In response, God’s people replied, "If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword" (Numbers 14:2)?
The Jewish people were disobedient because they lacked faith in God. An easy definition of faith is, "Taking God at His word." God had told them that the land was theirs for the taking. All they had to do was take God at His word, respond with obedience, and reap the benefits. Instead, they thought that God would go against His promises and kill them when they tried to take the land. God knew what was best for His people, but instead gave the Israelites what they thought was best and as a result, that generation, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, did not enter into the land of promise and died in the wilderness.
There are several times in Scripture where God grants people what they want, but what they want is not at all what they need. What if a parent let a toddler have anything he/she wanted? The child might get seriously injured or worse. The same is true for the people of God. One must want what God wants and do away with making decisions based upon comfort and/or convenience.
One of the major strategies of the enemy is to tempt believers to take the easy way out. Both of our representatives were tempted in this way. Scripture clearly explains the results of both. In Romans 5:19, Paul affirms, "By (Adam's) disobedience the many were made sinners, so by (Christ's) obedience the many will be made righteous." Although God's way is not always the easiest, it should be the only choice for all who believe in Him.
