Still Wandering

I got a laugh out of this one here. How true is this for many of us!?! When my wife and I, along with three innocently hesistant girls, go on a long trip, they ask us this question gazillion times, "Are we there yet??" Can you compare a 5 hour trip from D.C. to Duck to Israel's wandering in the wilderness for 40 years?? I don't blame all the little children of Israel. They don't have the luxury of cars on wheels, windshield to avoid being choked by bugs, air conditioning and heating, cushion seats, cd players, restaurants (rest stop) almost every 5 miles and now some cars have entertainment centers where they can watch several movies to kill time!! But one advantage is that those under the age of 20 along with Joshua and Caleb will enter the promise land after the 40 years is over!!

"And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad - they will enter the land. I will give it to them and they will take possession of it." Deuteronomy 1:39 (niv)

"Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun." Numbers 14:30 (niv)

The Old Testament history is a shadow of the things in the future. To give you a parallel version between the Old and the New Testament:

Promised Land (Israel) to Heaven (Christians)
Wandering in the Wilderness to Wandering in the World

So who will enter the land (Heaven)?

"Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers." Deuteronomy 8:1 (niv)

Will there be purgings of God? (Read Ezekiel 20)

"I will purge you of those who revolt and rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of the land where they are living, yet they will not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD." Ezekiel 20:38 (niv)

Yes! Today, all of us, still alive, are still wandering in the desert as a test of our faith, love and obedience to His everlasting commands!! If you're holding to the Lord with firm obedience, you're closer to Heaven than you think!