“But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.  Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:5-12. 

Just like the Israelites in the wilderness, many would rather believe the lies of satan than trust in the Lord.  Inevitably,  unbelief in God results in complaining (murmuring).    We hear the devil is a lie but we inevitably believe his lie.  This is one of those struggles the Apostle Paul spoke of in Romans chapter 7.  We don’t WANT to believe that lie but we can’t help believing  that lie.  It is a spirit of fear which the Lord Jesus Christ did not give us and it has convinced us our only options are sin or death.

Instead of trying so hard NOT to believe the lie of the devil, choose to believe the TRUTH of the Word of God.  We have to turn from unbelief to belief…it is up to us to decide which one we are turning from and which one we are turning to.  Unless we turn from believing the lies of the devil TO believing the Word of God, we are simply relying on self efforts and not the power of God.  We have to make a 180 degree turn, not a 90 degree turn.

“For in that He died, He died unto sin once: but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” Romans 6:10-12.

Once we reckon ourselves to be dead unto our sin nature because of what Jesus did on the Cross, we are able to believe God.  If we truly believe that Jesus Christ’s Sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross gave us victory over our sin nature, than it is impossible to believe the devil will be the victor….we cannot believe both.   It is that simple.  I realize man wants to make a method or a scheme out of this simple Truth but all that is required is believing in Jesus Christ and His finished work which reconciled us to God and that God is fully able to deliver us from our bondage.

Many of the Israelites lost their faith in God while in the wilderness and began to murmur and complain.  Some perished while others remained there 40 years.  Discern whether what you are saying and what you are doing are the same?  Do you say you trust God but as soon as satan whispers that lie in your ear, you turn around and trust him (satan)…do you believe that lie?  Once we decide to believe the lie of satan, we no longer believe the Truth of God.  Is our unbelief God’s fault or ours?  Do we go by our feeling or by what we know to be the Truth of the Word of God?

Sometimes we are faced with seemingly unbearable situations.  Take heed of the example given to us by the murmuring Israelites and do not test the Lord with unbelief.  Believe in the Lord thy God, dip your feet in the brim of the water and walk across the Jordan on dry land for all of your enemies to see (Joshua 3:15)…the sea will part and you will make it to the other end.  God wants to be our God and He has given us His plan for Salvation, Jesus Christ.  Do you believe in Who Jesus is and What He has done?  Then settle it in your mind and be determined to know nothing else except Jesus Christ and Him crucified (1 Cor. 2:2), He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Understand Jesus is alive and active in His church but we first must believe in Him.  I ask you again, do you believe? -Donna Clark Warren