In this daily Bible reading the writer underscores the need to persevere in belief and Faith in Jesus. The writer compared this with Israel’s exodus from Egypt. The people were given clear instructions in obeying God. They even witnessed God’s miracles in freeing them from bondage in Egypt, but they stopped obeying God. Most even wanted to turn back to Egypt. So, God did not allow the multitude of that generation to enter the promised land. Only their children were allowed to enter, plus two people from their generation: Joshua and Caleb.
Out of 600,000 people, Joshua and Caleb were the only two who remained faithful to God during the Exodus journey. There were many hardships, but these two kept the Faith and remained obedient to God. The people of Israel heard the Word of God, but God’s Word did not affect or guide them.
Similarly, many today hear the Word of God. They also know many Bible passages, but they are not affected or changed by them. Most are skeptical of the Bible and don’t believe what the Bible says. The Bible says that we must believe in Jesus Christ to be saved from going to Hell, and our belief must be genuine. It must be evidenced by the lives we lead and the choices we make.
The Bible gives clear guidance. However, for the Bible to be effective in our lives we must believe what it tells us. One cannot understand the Bible unless one first believes it to be true. One cannot believe in Jesus without knowing who He is. The only way to know who Jesus is, is to read the Bible. The Bible will guide us to a genuine belief that will save us from Hell.
