40: A Number of Change and Growth

And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it. Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan. (Numbers 13:25-29)

Throughout the Bible, the number 40 has great significance. It represents a shift from the old to the new, a metamorphosis from one state of being to another. Jesus, after His baptism, spent forty days in the wilderness—a period of testing and preparation. Also, after His resurrection, He remained with His disciples for forty days, teaching them and preparing them for His departure.

The Israelite spies were initially sent in to look at the land God promised them for 40 days. Those days were meant to get them full of faith to come back and encourage the people to go and take what God had said. Instead, the report of the ten spies clouded the people’s vision and because of doubt and unbelief, God made them wait another forty years to get into the promised land.

Are you in a forty-day season of life? These are times that challenge, refine, and ultimately transform. Like the Israelites, we may face challenging obstacles, but in these moments of challenge we are called to echo the same faith-filled proclamation of Joshua and Caleb: “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30).

Practical Application

If you’re in a season of 40, as you are shifting from one level of faith to another or one position to another, don’t be discouraged. You will make it if you keep your eyes on God’s Word. Don’t speak doubt and fear. Say, “Whatever the task, I am well able.”

Deuteronomy 1:28; Deuteronomy 9:1

Beyond the Waters

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. (Exodus 14:13-16)

Faced with insurmountable odds against them, Moses asked the people to do one thing that made little sense. He told them to stand still.

Moses wasn’t calling them to be passive, or to just sit and let God do all the work. Moses was giving them an invitation to stop striving to figure it out. They needed to stop running around in their own strength, trying to defeat their enemies. Instead, they needed to trust in and lean on God.

In today’s busy world, we need to stand still and see. Too often, we believe more natural effort on our part will solve our problems, but instead of working harder, we need to anchor ourselves to God’s Word. Let’s believe that God will finish what He began!

God delivered over a million Israelite slaves from their former master, the pharaoh of Egypt. Can you imagine how they felt when they looked behind them and saw the biggest, most well-equipped army of the day pursuing them? Many were probably frozen in fear. Others may have run to find hiding places. Perhaps some started swimming across the sea.

However, their salvation wasn’t in their own ability, but in God. God said He would deliver them. Why would He have brought them out of slavery only to die at the hands of pharaoh’s army? God got them out of the chains of bondage, and He would get them beyond the waters!

Practical Application

What challenge are you currently facing that seems impossible to defeat? Ask the Holy Spirit to let you see the problem like He does. Stand, see, and advance in faith! God will finish what He began.

Joshua 23:3; Deuteronomy 3:22

A Legacy of Blessings

And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. (Genesis 24:1)

Genesis 24:1 tells us how things ended for Abraham, the man with whom God cut a covenant. Abraham’s journey of faith was not perfect, but he had four distinct promises from God, which he held onto as he walked by faith.

First, God promised to give Abraham supernatural offspring. This wasn't merely a promise of numerical increase but a divine covenant that would birth nations and generations. It was a family that would bring about the purpose of God on earth.

Second, God promised Abraham a specific land—a real, tangible place that would become the homeland for Abraham's descendants. This land was bigger than the modern nation of Israel, but it included all the current nation and much more surrounding territory.

Third, God promised Abraham personal blessings, saying that God's favor would rest on Abraham in every facet of his life. This would go beyond simply material wealth; it included spiritual and familial blessings as well. Abraham's life became a living testament of what it meant to walk in the blessing.

Last, Abraham would be a conduit of blessing to all nations. Through Abraham's lineage, the world would be introduced to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—a God of love, mercy, and redemption. Jesus, the Messiah, would be one of Abraham’s descendants!

Abraham's life teaches us that obedience precedes blessing. Abraham didn’t always understand what God asked him to do, but he trusted God, even when the Lord asked him to sacrifice his only son!

Practical Application

Abraham’s life illustrates the power of faith and obedience. God wants you to affect the lives of those around you, as Abraham did, with His blessing flowing to you and through you. Look for opportunities to obey quickly, even when you don’t understand and expect God’s blessing to flow!

Genesis 13:2; Psalm 112:1