Martha Olawale

When the children of Gad and the children of Reuben saw the land of Jazer in Numbers 32, they were ready to abandon God’s promise for them and settle there. All they could see was how well their cattle will thrive on that land and it blinded them from seeing beyond the grazing grass. They told Moses in verse 5, “Let this land be given unto us for a possession and bring us not into the land of Jordan.”

Humans are limited by what they can see and how far their minds can comprehend.  Many of us have settled in Jazer when God’s intent for us is Jordan. Just because of the immediate gain we experience, we abandon the infinite abundance that flows from walking with God. We are quick to pull away from holding on to the glorious plans He has for us and embrace a fragment of what should be whole.

God’s perspective is wider than our view and reaches beyond even our blind spots. It is total and all-encompassing. He can see our beginning before it starts and knows the end from where we are. God knows that just because the grass is green today does not mean it would be green tomorrow. His intent for us is perfect and we can never go wrong following Him.

I have opted to pitch my tent at different Jazers in my life. I tell God, “Just leave me here, and you go ahead.” At different moments in my life, I’ve experienced momentary elation that clouded the fullness and constant peace that comes from following God and allowing Him to chart my path through life. I lay down my sword and submit to the pleasures of the moment instead of staying the course and enjoying the gains of fighting by God. Although He has never led me astray, I hesitate sometimes when He tells me to pack my tent and move on.

Just like the children of Israel, God might have conquered Jazer for us, but it doesn’t mean we should stay there. Jazer is one of many paths that lead to Jordan and as long as we walk with God, there is a better destiny ahead of us. And despite the happiness and comfort, we feel at the place God wants us to move from, it can never compare to where He’s taking us to. Don't stop because there are many more lands to conquer and a promised land to reach.