ICSG Daily Devotions
Follow God Wholeheartedly

Exodus 14:11-12 (NKJV) Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

When the 12 spies returned from scouting the Promised Land, 10 of them came back with a negative report that there were giants in the land and the Israelites were like grasshoppers in their eyes, even though the land was very fruitful, flowing with milk and honey.

When the Israelites were caught between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army, they became down-hearted, and murmured and complained about God’s plan for their lives. On numerous occasions, even though they were physically out of Egypt, their hearts remained in Egypt despite the suffering brought on by slavery. Likewise, we may have accepted Jesus as our Saviour, but we are still struggling to hand over the lordship of our lives to Him. In other words, even though we are Christians, the world and its desires still dominate our hearts!

A whole generation of Israelites died in the wilderness because of their murmuring, complaining and their unbelief that God was able to deliver them from the inhabitants of the land. Only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to lead a new generation to enter the Promised Land, because they were very different from the rest of the 10 spies and saw things just as God had promised.

Joshua 14:8 (NKJV) Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

Therefore, the key is to follow God wholeheartedly. The new creation has the nature of God and the residence of the Holy Spirit enables us to love the Lord and live our lives very differently from the past. Biblically speaking, we have been set free from the bondage of sin and have the ability to overcome the power of sin and death. However, we need to take hold of it and desire to enjoy the abundant life!

Luke 10:27 (NKJV) So he answered and said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

Sermon Series: You Are in the Hall of Faith!