“Yet in spite of this, you did not believe the Lord your God, who went before you…
to show you by what way you should go” (Deuteronomy 1:32-33).

I am continually amazed at how blunt Moses was with the people of Israel during their wanderings. If you read the books of Numbers and Deuteronomy, you’ll find numerous statements that will make you wince. The passage cited above is such a passage. Let me set the stage for you.

After the Lord commanded the people to leave Mount Horeb, Moses recounted the wanderings of the Hebrew people up to that point in time. This is just prior to the people entering the land that God promised to give them when they left Egypt. There’s a sense in which the entire Book of Deuteronomy sets the stage for the people entering the Promised Land. If you recall, at the end of the book Moses died, and Joshua replaced him as God’s chosen leader. 

Now Moses had a definite purpose in saying what he did. He knew that the people had faced many challenges during their years of wandering. Further, he knew that more challenges lie ahead for them. He wanted them to know that God had been faithful to them in the past and that his record of faithfulness was his guarantee of future faithfulness. That’s when he reminded them of their unbelief and God’s goodness to them in spite of their disobedience.

There are truths we can take from this. Even in spite of our lack of faith, God is faithful. His faithfulness is independent of our wavering. There is never a time when God does not keep his promises, no matter how much we waver from his plans. No doubt there may be consequences to our lack of obedience (after all the people wandered in the desert for 40 years). Yet, we must never forget that his glory is linked to his promises. Thus, he is always faithful. Truly, his past faithfulness is his guarantee of future faithfulness. That truth brings comfort to me.

When we face the challenges of life, no matter what form they take, I wonder how many of us look back first, instead of looking ahead in fear or anxiety. It’s so easy to assume the worst during difficult circumstances. Yet I am learning that the best thing to do is to look back at God’s faithfulness to me. Whenever I do that, I see that what he has done for me in the past is his way of assuring me that he will work for my good in the future as well. That’s what Moses was doing. He wanted the people to know that God keeps his promises, even if they had not trusted him years previously. As such, they could count on God working for their good through all the challenges that lie ahead as they entered the Promised Land.

What does that mean for you? Well, that depends on the struggles and challenges you are facing right now. You see, if you fixate on your current situation, you will be less able to recall what God has done for you in the past. At that point, it’s easy to get stuck at the expense of sensing God’s ongoing promise to work for your good in all situations. Think back. It’s a good thing to do!