Follows God Even When It’s Not Popular

Follows God Even When It’s Not Popular

A HERO’S TALE

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a spy? Secret missions. Clever disguises. Cool gadgets. Fast cars. How exciting! At least that’s how Hollywood portrays it.

Did you know there are spy stories in the Bible, too? It’s true! Numbers 13 tells about a covert Israelite operation.

God’s people had reached the edge of the Promised Land. Before they entered Canaan, Moses sent 12 men ahead to spy it out. For the next 40 days, the spies secretly explored the land to prepare for their coming invasion.

But when the spies returned, 10 of them gave a bad report. They shook in fear as they recalled seeing huge fortified cities, vast enemy armies, and even giants. Conquering Canaan, they said, was “Mission: Impossible.”

Only two spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed that God would keep his promise and give them victory. It was 10 against 2. What would Joshua and Caleb do? Would they give in to the pressure of the crowd? No. Joshua and Caleb begged their countrymen not to be afraid because “the LORD is with us!” (Numbers 14:9).

But the people wouldn’t listen. They lost courage, talked about returning to Egypt, and even threatened to stone Joshua and Caleb!

So God punished the people for their lack of faith. For the next 40 years, he forced Israel to wander in deserts outside Canaan until the entire generation of unbelieving adults had died.

DECODING THE MESSAGE

Following God isn’t always popular. Joshua and Caleb found that out firsthand. Some people might laugh at you. Others might stop being your friend. Sometimes, people even physically attack Christians because of their faith.

Worldly peer pressure can be strong, but that doesn’t mean it’s right. Following God is always the best thing to do.

Even Jesus faced huge peer pressure when he was on earth. The religious leaders of his day constantly fought against him. In John 15:18-25, Jesus warned his disciples to expect to have a hard time in this world. If the world hated God’s own Son, he said, God’s followers should expect opposition too.

But God will always bless his followers. Take Joshua and Caleb, for instance. They were the only spies who survived the 40-year desert wanderings. After Moses died, Joshua became Israel’s leader, and Caleb was rewarded with a special piece of Canaanite land for his descendants.

If you follow God, he will help and bless you, too!

BATTLE PLAN

Talk to your parents and develop a plan for what to do when the crowd wants you to disobey God. Being prepared for such moments will make it easier to follow God.