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He knows th e h ea rts of all men today, and because they were no t governed by simple faith and wanted to spy ou t th e land (Deut. 1:19-24) God commanded Moses to choose twelve men, one from each trib e and send them out. God w anted to teach a lesson in this. When we are determ ined to have our own way, as Israel was, God often allows us to carry ou t our own plans, even though they may b ring sorrow and disaster. The R epo rt of th e Spies. The spies retu rn ed afte r fo rty days spent in searching th e land and all the twelve confirmed w hat th e Lord had said concerning it. There was nothing lacking on God’s side of th e question. Ten of th e men saw g rea t cities, high walls and strong giants, b u t they did not see God a t all. The o th er two, Joshua and Caleb, saw all these things repo rted by th e ten b u t they knew God w anted them to ta k e possession of th e land because it had been prom ised ages before. They remembered how God had delivered Isra el and protected th em ,th ro u g h th e w ilderness overcom ing all difficulties and th is gave them faith . They saw th a t God was g reater th a n th e cities, higher th a n th e walls and strong er th a n th e giants. F aith begins w ith God and reasons from Him to th e difficulties; unbelief begins w ith th e difficulties and reasons from them to God. This makes all th e difference. F a ith brings God in and makes life b rig h t and easy while unbelief shuts God out and all is d ark and difficult. Girls, is God in your en tire range of vision? Do you know w h at it is to The people became so discouraged from th e repo rt th a t they complained again st Moses and Aaron and w anted o ther leaders appointed to lead them back to Egypt. I am afraid we too, look a t th e difficulties th a t su rround us ra th e r th a n a t God who has prom ised to bring us safely into H is kingdom , w alk day by day w ith Him? The R e su lt of th e Reports.
and so fail to tak e possession of our inheritance. The ten men who b rough t an evil rep o rt perished by th e plague and all th e re st over tw enty years of age per ished in th e w ilderness. Only th e two who b rough t th e good report, Jo shua and Caleb reached th e prom ised land. How im po rtan t it is to be able like these men to bear a clear tru e te sti mony to th e tru th of God. The tru e C hristian life is a land of prom ise and fulfillment and God w ants us to go now and possess it. Why go th rough th e long w eary w ilderness of sin? T rue th e re are difficulties and dangers bu t Jesu s Christ is a refuge fo r every needy soul. Is He your refuge? The Story of a W onderful Journey. Num. 13 :1— 14:38. Memory Verse: “The Lord is w ith us; fear them no t.” Num. 14:9’. Approach: Do little boys and girls like to go out in th e d ark by themselves, or stay a t home alone a t nigh t? No, indeed they do not, b u t are they afraid if big b ro th er or BEGINNERS sister, or fath e r or AND PRIMARY m o t h e r is w ith Mabel L. M errill them ? No, for they know they w ill tak e care of them and keep all harm away, and you feel ju s t as safe in th e d ark as in th e light. We are to h ear about some men who had to tak e a long jou rn ey into a land th a t was all strang e to them , and where th e people did no t feel kindly tow ard them , b u t God told them no t to fear, for He would take care of them . (P ray er th ank ing God for His loving care for H is children.) Lesson Story: God’s people, th e chil dren of Israel, had been camping a long tim e a t th e foot of Mount Sinai, where God had been teaching them many things He wished them to know, so they would be ready to live in th e land of Canaan, which was th e nam e of th e
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