January 16

Numbers 13:26–29

26 And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.

27 And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

28 Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.

Biblical Insight

Milk and honey were frequently mentioned in reference the Israelite promised land, so much so that the phrase is used colloquially today to refer to prosperous times and places. In the ancient world, milk and honey were indicators of a land’s sustainability because both foods can be harvested without destroying the source of the product. In contrast, the eating of seeds, fruits, vegetables, eggs, or meat will stop future life from developing. Thus, descriptions of land flowing with milk and honey can be interpreted to mean that the land could sustain a large group of people such as the Israelites for a long period of time.

Daily Devotion

One day, while playing with his toys, two-year-old Chase was singing, “Yes means yes. No means no. And yes means yes. So no means no.” Amused, his parent asked, “If yes means yes and no means no, what does wait mean?”

Without looking up from his toys, Chase said, “God.”

One of the most difficult times in our life is the waiting period. It can be exhausting physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Sometimes you may wonder if the promise will ever come to pass. You may even second-guess if you heard God correctly.

When God says wait, He is not saying no or never. The season of waiting is a personal invitation into a deeper relationship with God because waiting is meant to be active. We actively wait by trusting in the Lord, doing good, being faithful, delighting in the Lord, and committing to God in all of our ways (Psalm 37:3–5).

Trust His timing.