Sometimes you can set up the greatest of opportunities for someone, having done most of the work yourself and offering them some wonderful benefits, but then they choose to reject your efforts and all that you are providing for them. It doesn’t make sense. They are turning their back on the best of opportunities. All you can do is let them go.
If you’ve ever been in a situation like that, then you can somewhat relate to the many times that God has been in that situation. Consider one example in the book of Deuteronomy.
Moses was getting ready to die, and Israel was getting ready to enter the Promised Land. Moses took the opportunity to deliver a series of sermons to the Jews, to remind them of many things and to challenge them to full obedience to the Lord. In chapter 1, he took them back 40 years to the first time they approached the Promised Land, when they sent twelve spies into the land. Regarding the land that “God is giving us” (1:20), the spies reported, “It is a good land which the Lord our God is giving us” (1:25). Note the very next statement, “Nevertheless you would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord your God” (1:26). God was providing a great land, but they would not obey.
Moses pleaded with the people to remember all that the Lord had done for them, “Yet…you did not believe the Lord your God” (1:32).
Because they refused to the take the land and rebelled against the Lord, God punished them and promised that “not one” of them would “see that good land,” except for Joshua and Caleb (1:34-36). That seemed to get the people’s attention, for then they decided to “go up and fight” (1:41), but the Lord warned them not to go, for He was “not among” them to fight for them (1:42). Moses said, “So I spoke to you; yet you would not listen, but rebelled against the command of the Lord” (1:43). Throughout the book, Moses reminded them how they “would not obey the voice of the Lord your God” (8:20; 28:62).
How does that apply to us? Consider the first paragraph. God has set up a great opportunity for us, and truly, He has done most of the work Himself and is providing us with countless wonderful benefits, if we will but follow Him. How often could the Lord say of us, “I am giving My love and My blessings to you, but you would not obey”? How could anyone reject the blessings that the Lord of Creation has to offer? It doesn’t make sense! Yet, we still do. Friends, let’s get the “would not” out of our system, and let’s strengthen our “go and do”! God is providing us a great land one day!