An analogy is a comparison between two things, typically for explanation or clarification. If you’ve read one or more of my blog posts, you’ll notice that I use them quite frequently. Maybe that’s just the English teacher in me, but Jesus used analogies and the Holy Spirit uses them frequently to teach me about God, reveal His Word to me, and help me grow spiritually. So buckle up for the most recent analogy (or should I say analogies) God has blessed me with. ☺️

The two pictures at the top of this post were taken a few seconds apart. However, the two shots of the sun show different levels of brightness because of what I focused my camera on. Similarly (here comes the first analogy), the Son can shine more or less brightly in our lives at any given circumstance based on what we choose to focus on. 

One thing you have to learn when you have a relationship with God is that He is worthy to be praised in every situation: good, bad, ugly, pretty, average, etc. Most people find it easy to praise God in the good times but struggle to see His sovereign hand in their times of struggle. Let’s pause that conversation and redirect to the newest analogy God has revealed to me in a deep way through the Holy Spirit’s revelation in my study of His Word. 

The Israelites (God’s chosen people in the Old Testament) are a parallel picture of us, the church. 

• God delivered the Israelites out of physical bondage in Egypt. (Leviticus 11:45)
• God delivers us out of sinful bondage in the world. (Romans 6)
• God chose and called the Israelites to be a holy and set apart people group for His purpose. (Leviticus 20:7-8)
• God chooses and calls us to be a holy and set apart people group for His purpose. (1 Peter 2:9)
• God promised the Israelites a future of hope, which included a gift of land. (Deuteronomy 4:30-31; Exodus 6:8)
• God promises us a future of hope, which includes a gift of a new home. (Romans 8:28; Hebrews 11:16)

This list of comparisons could go on and on, and this analogy exists so that we can learn about our loving Creator and live in a way that pleases Him. Studying the Old Testmant reveals the heart of God in marvelous ways. If you haven’t done that yet, I highly recommend it!

So, let’s jump back to the previous conversation. The way you focus will determine how brightly Jesus can shine in and through your life despite whatever situation you may be experiencing. If you are currently experiencing pain, loss, or struggle of any kind, let me use the Israelite analogy to help you shift your focus so that Jesus’s brilliant shine can be magnified in your heart. 

1. God has given you promises. 

Our good Father promises so many good things to His children: His presence, His love, His joy, His Holy Spirit, His peace, His forgiveness and mercy, and so on. He is a good Father and He wants to give you good things! Jesus talks about this in Matthew 7 and Luke 11. He says, “If your son asks you for bread, would you give him a stone instead? Or if your son asks you for a fish, would you give him a snake instead? If you, a sinful human, know how to give your children good gifts, how much more will your perfect Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him?”

God promised the Israelites He would give them the land of Canaan. 

“And I will bring you into the land concerning which I lifted up My hand and swore that I would give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage. I am the Lord.”‭‭ – Exodus‬ ‭6:8‬

2. God has called you to pursue those promises while maintaining faith in Him. 

Imagine walking through your front door after a long day at work to find out that your spouse has gotten you a gift. This gift, according to your spouse, is beautiful and wonderful and will bring so much happiness to you! You are told that this gift is hidden in the one of the rooms in your house; you just have to go and look for it. Now, how much sense would it make for you to respond with, “You know, that gift sounds lovely, and I appreciate you trying to be good to me, but I don’t really feel like putting forth the effort to pursue that gift.” Talk about a slap in the face! Your spouse would feel hurt and devalued, as though you don’t have faith in the promise that was made to you. (Yes, this is another analogy! 😄)

God is the bridegroom and we are the Bride of Christ. He has promises for your future – He wants to work through you and extend His kingdom and take you from old levels of faith to new levels of faith (Romans 1:17). However, if we don’t take action and step out in faith, we are communicating that we don’t want or are too uninterested (or lazy) to pursue God’s promises. (Ouch.)

The Israelites started out in Egypt. In order to get to the Promised Land, they had to get up and move to pursue their promise!

“Rise up, take your journey, and pass over the Valley of the Arnon. Behold, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land; begin to possess it and contend with him in battle.” – Deuteronomy‬ ‭2:24‬

3. There will be a wilderness, but God will get you through it when you are faithful to Him.

When the enemy sees that you are actively pursuing God and His will for your life, he’s going to get mad. Okay, he’s going to be more than mad; he will be furious. You know why? Because God defeated Satan through Jesus, and when you live for God you are living for the Victor. Satan doesn’t want you to be victorious – he wants to be the victorious one. So you can expect him to throw a lot of trials your way to try to prevent you from serving the Lord: expect hardships and pain and spiritual dry spells and heartache, just to name a few. 

Not only that, but God will let the enemy afflict us. You might be thinking, Whaaaat? The God who loves me is going to let me experience hardships?? Yes, and amen! Actually, Jesus promised us hardships (John 16:33), but He allows them because He loves us and because He has overcome the world and because He wants us to understand that He is the Rock that will never move (glory, hallelujah!). Lean fully on Him in the midst of trials, continue to praise Him, and remind yourself of who He was and is and always will be (Deuteronomy 4:9). When you do these things, God will prove Himself faithful! I promise. 

After receiving the promise of Canaan, the Israelites faced many trials in the wilderness. Because they turned their backs on God instead of leaning on Him when trials came, they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Not only that, but the first generation of freed Israelites didn’t even get to enter the Promised Land because of their faithlessness in and disobedience towards God! 

“Because all those men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have tested and proved Me these ten times and have not heeded My voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swore to give to their fathers; nor shall any who provoked Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.” – Numbers‬ ‭14:22-24‬

4. Attaining His promises will follow warfare. 

As we covered earlier, the enemy will plot and attack in an effort to destroy you and get you off of God’s path. However, having faith in God and fully trusting in Him requires actively fighting for His promises. We’re talking spiritual warfare. If you don’t know you’re in a battle, take a look at scripture. Ephesians 6 explains what it looks like to be a soldier for Christ and put on the whole armor of God. Not only does the armor provide defense against the enemy, but it also protects you while you contend for the victory in the fight against flesh and the enemy. Your armor includes truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit (God’s Word), and prayer. Arm yourselves and actively fight for God’s promises!

On the way to the Promised Land, the Israelites were confronted by armies that tried to defeat them. Not only that, but Canaan was already inhabited by other people! In both situations, the Israelites had to suit up and make war on the enemy. They did not need to fear, though, because they clung to the truth that God was faithful to His promise, despite the enemies standing in their way! 

“And the Lord said to me, Do not fear him, for I have given him and all his people and his land into your hand; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who lived at Heshbon … All these cities were fortified with high and haughty walls, gates, and bars, besides a great many unwalled villages. And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying every city–men, women, and children.” – Deuteronomy‬ ‭3:2, 5-6‬

5. God’s promises are worth it because He is worth it. 

In the end, the realization that brings everything together and strengthens your focus is the knowledge that God’s promises are not our goal after all – He is. 

• God is our prize. 
• His love is our reward. 
• Spending eternity in His presence is His gift to us. 

We are so loved. God loves you enough to give Himself and His Son to you, and to love you unconditionally while you grow closer to Him. What an unmatchable promise! 🙌🏻 

The Israelites wavered time and time again because they indulged adulterous and idolatrous hearts. (See previous blog post about God’s jealousy here.) 

However, God continued to pursue them with His love and to teach them that the only thing that should consume their hearts is their pursuit of Him. 

“But if from there you will seek the Lord your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and soul and life. When you are in tribulation and all these things come upon you, in the latter days you will turn to the Lord your God and be obedient to His voice. For the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you or destroy you or forget the covenant of your fathers, which He swore to them.” – Deuteronomy‬ ‭4:29-31‬

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I pray that these words have been an encouragement to you. God loves you so much. He owns the whole world, and yet all He asks of us is our hearts. I pray that you come to know and love Him, for you’re worth Jesus to Him, and that’s true love worth focusing on.