Devotion 149

DEVOTION 149: “To Wholly Follow the Lord. ” coming out of Num. 32

It’s possible to follow the Lord but not wholly.

Let’s read:

Numbers 32:1-5 “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; [2] The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, [3] Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, [4] Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: [5] Wherefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.”

They were looking to their many cattle instead of looking to the only God. The Promise of God was to bring them to the Holy Land, but they were refusing to enter into His promise because of their own thoughts, ideas, and possessions. They were looking to possess cattle instead of possessing God.

Many today believe but will not enter into the Holy Spirit baptism because of their own ideas, thoughts, and denomination creeds. They fail to follow God wholly.

To wholly follow the Lord is to be one with Him. Oneness with God is to have God’s Spirit in you agreeing with the Word, to make it manifest in power.

When that power that dwelled in Christ dwells in you, you are one with God, and you are wholly following Him in Word.

Eve followed the Lord but not wholly. She did not believe the whole Word. She was put out of the garden of Eden. She brought death to all.

We continue our reading:

Numbers 32:6-12 “And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? [7] And wherefore discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them? [8] Thus did your fathers, when I sent them from Kadesh–barnea to see the land. [9] For when they went up unto the valley of Eshcol, and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them. [10] And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and he sware, saying, [11] Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: [12] Save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite, and Joshua the son of Nun: for they have wholly followed the LORD.”

How did Joshua and Caleb follow the Lord wholly? They simply believed every Word that came out of the mouth of God. They threw away all doubts and unbelief. They refused to depend on their five natural senses.

We continue our reading:

Numbers 32:13 “And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.”

If the Lord fulfilled His promise to Abraham based on his faith, the Lord is bound to fulfill every promised made to us if we express the same faith as Abraham. Remember, in Christ, we are related to Abraham not by genealogy but by faith. We inherit the promises made to Abraham not by genealogy but by faith.
If the Lord let Israel wander for forty years because of unbelief, the Lord will let us wander in the wilderness if we express the same unbelief. That’s what makes Him God. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

We continue our reading:

Numbers 32:14-15 “And, behold, ye are risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel. [15] For if ye turn away from after him, he will yet again leave them in the wilderness; and ye shall destroy all this people.”

The prophet Moses was telling the children of Reuben and Gad exactly what will happen because Moses have come to know Him is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.  

We continue our reading:

Numbers 32:16-23 “And they came near unto him, and said, We will build sheepfolds here for our cattle, and cities for our little ones: [17] But we ourselves will go ready armed before the children of Israel, until we have brought them unto their place: and our little ones shall dwell in the fenced cities because of the inhabitants of the land. [18] We will not return unto our houses, until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance. [19] For we will not inherit with them on yonder side Jordan, or forward; because our inheritance is fallen to us on this side Jordan eastward. [20] And Moses said unto them, If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war, [21] And will go all of you armed over Jordan before the LORD, until he hath driven out his enemies from before him, [22] And the land be subdued before the LORD: then afterward ye shall return, and be guiltless before the LORD, and before Israel; and this land shall be your possession before the LORD. [23] But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

They must enter into the Promised Holy Land before they could be given an inheritance.
We must enter into the Promised Holy Spirit baptism before we can be given the gifts of the Spirit.

We continue our reading:

Numbers 32:24-31 “Build you cities for your little ones, and folds for your sheep; and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth. [25] And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spake unto Moses, saying, Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth. [26] Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle, shall be there in the cities of Gilead: [27] But thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith. [28] So concerning them Moses commanded Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel: [29] And Moses said unto them, If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over Jordan, every man armed to battle, before the LORD, and the land shall be subdued before you; then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession: [30] But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan. [31] And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.”

Whether they received inheritance from the Lord or not was based solely on their entering into the Holy Land.

God has brought the Church through justification, and sanctification by faith in the finished work of the Cross (a type of what happened in Egypt). Whether we receive our Promised inheritance is based solely upon our entering into the Promised HolySpirit baptism. One cannot reject (unbelief) the Holy Spirit baptism and expect to inherit the Promises of God. Like Israel of old, every so called “church” without the Holy Spirit baptism dies in the wilderness.

We conclude our reading:

Numbers 32:32-42 “We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side Jordan may be ours. [33] And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad, and to the children of Reuben, and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land, with the cities thereof in the coasts, even the cities of the country round about. [34] And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer, [35] And Atroth, Shophan, and Jaazer, and Jogbehah, [36] And Beth–nimrah, and Beth–haran, fenced cities: and folds for sheep. [37] And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim, [38] And Nebo, and Baal–meon, (their names being changed,) and Shibmah: and gave other names unto the cities which they builded. [39] And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead, and took it, and dispossessed the Amorite which was in it. [40] And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh; and he dwelt therein. [41] And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havoth–jair. [42] And Nobah went and took Kenath, and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.”

They had to come into the Holy Land to get their  inheritance.
Today, We must come into the baptism of the Holy Spirit to receive our inheritance (the gifts of the Spirit).

God doesn’t deal with nations, denominations or groups. He deals with individuals.
If He dealt with individuals in the wilderness, then He deals with us today not as denominations but as individuals.

If the Holy Spirit was alive and active in the church in the book of Acts, then the Holy Spirit is alive today in men and woman who have received Him, and are lined up with the word — this is the Church. For He is the same God yesterday, today, and forever.

Let’s follow God wholly by receiving the Word and the Spirit: That means we get rid of all doubts, and unbelief.

Let the Word of God and the Spirit of God replace all your doubts and unbelief. BELIEVE, and confess Christ the Word as we’ve revealed Him from the First Adam. Oneness with the Lord is forsaking all doubts, indwelled fully by His Spirit, and trusting wholly in the Word, in Christ!

1 Comment


Nadine Darkwah - February 7th, 2025 at 10:11am

Gloryyy