promised favor

I can hardly believe that July has almost come to an end. Summer will be over before I know it! Shockingly, I'm already looking forward to the fall. Wow. I just said that! Here's what July has looked like for me so far...(don't you just love Instagram??)

Centerpiece for our 4th of July cookout at my parent's lovely new home. 

Fun night with family and friends! 

 Of course his eyes are closed- this was after a not-so-epic fireworks display seen from the
Blue Ridge Parkway.

 Girls weekend in the mountains. This place has so many memories.

 Summer evening walks are the best.

 Mornings with Jesus :)

Saturday at the lake- despite the inclement weather-
 we were entertained by these two.

Kiwi is beginning to be my very favorite fruit. 

Got this cookbook in the mail the other day. It was like Christmas. 

Pretty much made my day.

 Concert downtown. Rend Collective Experiment. It was amazing...
before the downpour that is.

Numbers 14:42 "Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, l

est you be struck down before your enemies."

So I've been reading through the Bible from the beginning, and finally I have reached the book of Numbers. Its a work in progress. I've attempted this journey several times but it has never come this easily or been this inspiring before. I know, it is a shock to me too! But the Holy Spirit is revealing truths through the most simple things and it has been amazing. So... to the verse I quoted at the top. Not super encouraging, right? Here's the background....so the Israelites finally make it to the outskirts of the land that God has promised them. But there's a catch- there are people occupying the land. The spies that were sent in to scope out the situation say that there's no way they can overthrow the inhabitants. So the Israelites do what they do best- whine and complain-, and they ask God why He didn't just let them die out in the wilderness- or better yet- back in Egypt. Well this makes the Lord pretty upset. He has brought them all this way, and they would rather be back in bondage? Really? So he declares over them suffering for forty years in the wilderness. Not one of them (except Caleb and Joshua) will enter the promised land. Of course they kind of flip out at this news. They decide they should have listened, grab their stuff, and head for battle. Yeah... too late. Moses tells them they may as well not even try. "The Lord is not among you." Yikes. Its so easy to judge and say how foolish and ridiculous they are, but how many times do we act in the same way? How many times does the Lord ask me to do something-promising His favor- and all I do is whine and complain and ask that I be sent back to where I was comfortable? Unfortunately, my flesh can sometimes make bondage look seemingly more desirable than what God has for me to do for Him.  Later down the road I realize, He was so right, and I try to step out in my own timing and strength and then wonder why it fails? What a wake-up call. Huge perspective. Wow, reading through the Old Testament makes me so thankful for the power of the cross and how Jesus made it possible for us to be directly linked to Him-through the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that I will be more sensitive to His voice and that I will be open and ready to obey and walk in His promises and favor. May you walk in His promises today and not turn back!