After years of journeying through the wilderness, the Israelite have come to the promised land. Yet something holds them back. The land is inhabited by nations with fierce armies and well-fortified cities. They cannot see how the promise of God will be fulfilled, yet they can see exactly how they will be wiped out. Don’t we face similar challenges? What moments in our lives make it difficult to trust the promises of God? And what do we do then when those troubles in life loom over us? In these moments, we have a choice; seek comfort in our own control or seek comfort in God’s control. Immediately after this passage, the Israelites respond with, “let’s go back to Egypt!” They long to return to what they knew, despite the pain it had caused them, because they believed it would be better than the challenges ahead of them. We can find ourselves with a similar longing. We seek temporary comforts, even if they are not good for us, because they are tangible and immediate like the problems we face. They make us feel in control, and this control makes us feel safe. Another way we seek our control is by insisting on proof from God. In the passage before this, the Israelites were simply told to take the land before them. Yet they insisted on sending spies to see if what God promised was really true. Don’t we also want proof before we act? Simply asking God for a sign or assurance is not in itself wrong. God loves us deeply and, therefore, we can bring our fears and struggles honestly before God. What is important is what is at the heart of our request. Are we trying to stall out of fear, or are we seeking wisdom and guidance from the Lord? In the former, we are seeking to control God’s plan. In the latter, we are seeking God’s will and to draw close to the God who promises to be near the broken-hearted. So how, then, do we respond to struggles in life? One thing we can do is to look back as tangible proofs of God fulfilling promises. In Genesis 12, we read about God’s promise to give Abraham descendants as numerous as the stars. This promise seemed impossible, yet as we read through the book of Numbers, we see the names of those descendants laid out on paper, each life a testament to the faithfulness of God. Even as we read this, it can still be hard to believe. Simple head knowledge does not exempt us from struggling. So, God gives us one another. Because when fears and pains loom over us, it is easier to believe in the promises of God when you have someone to believe with. In this text, Caleb and Joshua immediately rise up, ready to follow God’s call without hesitation. Who has God brought into your life as a Caleb or a Joshua when you faced challenges that felt insurmountable? And sometimes, God calls us to be a Caleb or Joshua for someone else, whether it’s helping someone with a meal or a task around the house, praying for them, or simply being there to listen. Children of God, receiver this good news. Yes, the pain and struggles you face are real, but they are finite. Struggling to make ends meet and wondering where the next meal will come from will give way to the wedding feast of the lamb, where no one will go hungry. Testing and treatment and recovery will give way to health and wholeness, to dwelling beside the river of life, under the tree whose leaves will be for the healing of all nations. Even death itself will give way to life eternal. And so, we come, to the table and to the font, together to encourage each other and live as tangible witnesses of God’s love, for each other and for the world. - NHRC Intern Jessica Loper