They did not believe

Psalm 78:35 "In spite of all this, they still sinned;despite his wonders, they did not believe."

Numbers 20:12 "And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.'"

Why did the people not enter the Promised Land? They did not believe. Why did Moses and Aaron not enter the Promised Land? They did not believe.

Ultimately, it's not an issue of not going to war, hitting a rock, or not driving out the inhabitants. Ultimately, all sin is about unbelief. Sin is unbelief. We do not believe Christ is the bread of life so we seek to fill ourselves with food, sex, leisure, promotions, family, and power. We do not believe doing God's will is another bread so we do our own will, chicken out, and check out. If we are going to battle sin and win we must realize that the root of sin is not temptation but unbelief. If we believed the promises of God as we should then we would see the foolishness of sin and temptation.

But we do not believe.

Father, I believe yet help my unbelief. I believe Christ is the bread of life and feeding on his flesh is life. I must eat his flesh and drink his blood. I must cherish him above my necessary food because he is better. I believe it. I believe you. But God, in unbelief I sin against you. I trade what is best for trash. Forgive me Father. By the righteous blood of my Redeemer blot out all my sin. I do not want my children to recount my life the way the bible recounts that wilderness generation. I want them to see in me a life of belief. I want to live something different.

Amen