“Kadesh Barnea”
Dear Daughters of Rachel,
You’ve prayed earnestly for a thing and the answer seemed so close, but the results never came to fruition? Lord, why? You had a dream. You worked hard and waited patiently for the desired outcome. But something strange happened and you walked away before seeing it to completion. You never saw answers to the prayers that have cost you so much. You’re tired and discouraged and just want to give up. You find yourself whispering “Lord, I thought I heard from you but I must have been wrong.”
Daughters, what you’re seeing is the spirit of Kadesh Barnea at work.
1 Corinthians 16:9 says, “For a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Paul could have just said, “for a great door and effectual is opened unto me” and we in the Pentecostal churches could have jumped high and shouted loud. But note he goes on to say, “And there are many adversaries.” Notice a great door had opened and the minute the enemies saw that open door, they came to close it. They succeeded in hindering Paul from going on into his breakthrough.
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Philippians 3:8-14 says, 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. 13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Oh Daughter, are you at the point of crossing over into your breakthrough? Are you going to follow Holy Spirit into your destiny, or are you going to hold back and just test the waters? Many times I hear ladies who have struggled and prayed hard about something. Then when their breakthrough is in sight, they allow fear to enter and pull back saying, “maybe I need to send out a fleece” or “I don’t know if this really is from God.” The result being they end up settling for less than God’s best. Never having truly crossed over into their promise land. Now, let’s look at a place in the Word called Kadesh Barnea. Biblical names of people and places have meanings that teach profound spiritual lessons. Kadesh Barnea was a stopping point in the children of Israel’s pilgrimage to the promised land. Know that in your journey to the promises that God has given you, you have the same options as the children of Israel. Kadesh Barnea was a point where children of Israel retreated when they were just at the edge of their Promised Land. Geographically, from Horeb, the mount of God – Mount Sinai – to Kadesh Barnea was only 11 days journey. The presence of God experienced at Horeb was to strengthen the faith of God’s people as they prepared to enter Canaan. This journey is described in Deuteronomy 1. They had traveled for 11 days with only 2 more to go to reach their destination. Yet after all they went through to get this close to their destiny in God, they stumbled and fell at the very edge of their breakthrough. The spirit of Kadesh Barnea was at work. It makes people give-up and quit just before their blessing arrives. They’ve prayed hard and waited patiently, but something strange happens. They become discouraged and walk away from their dream. Deuteronomy 1:40, 45-46 says, “But as for you, turn around and set out toward the desert along the route to the Red Sea… You came back and wept before the Lord, but He paid no attention to your weeping and turned a deaf ear to you. And so you stayed in Kadesh Barnea many days-all the time you spent there.” Ladies, if you find yourself at Kadesh Barnea, the place of wanting to give-up on God… please don’t give up the good fight of faith. The breakthrough you’ve so earnestly prayed for may be just in sight. Let His Word encourage you… 1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.” Joshua 1:5 says, “No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will never leave you nor forsake you. Be strong and of good courage…” Psalm 34:17 says, “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.” Galatians 5:1 says, “Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has set you free, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage. ”Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” Oh Precious Daughter of Rachel, you be encouraged this day! Blessings, Ellen Kanode
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