Numbers 13:1-3 “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.’ So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.”

The children of Israel had already completed the first part of their journey. The second leg would be equally important. Moses managed to get them ‘out the door’ on the first leg by telling them of God’s promise of a land flowing with milk and honey. The first part of the journey had been rough, with many close calls, lots of grumbling and complaining and a long walk across the Sinai desert. Now, they stood on the doorstep of receiving the dream, the Promised Land. God was going to prepare them for leg two of their journey by helping them “map out” what he was preparing to give them. His instructions were to send tribal ‘leaders’. He sent elders in because they would know what to look for. Leaders would not just be taken in by beautiful scenery but would consider the land and its richness for providing for the people. They would consider its layout strategically and how well it could be defended. And they could, with their experience, assess the people who already lived there. Not that it really mattered – God was already prepared to give the land to them. Unfortunately, the worldliness of their assessment would doom an entire generation.

Pray: “Heavenly Father, as I prepare to move in the direction of the dream you have placed in my heart, help me to ‘map out’ my destination. Help me to know where it is that I am going. By knowing where I am going, it will allow me to choose wisely those who I will take with me and place my trust in with regards to advice. Above all, my trust will remain in you, Lord, along with my gratitude and thanks for you daily blessings. In Jesus holy name I pray – Amen.