How to cope with life partner

AFRIEND of mine is considering marriage. Actually, more than considering, he has proposed to someone, and she has agreed to marry him. However, the thought of spending his life with someone is scary. What if it is hard? What if he is making a mistake? This is his life we are discussing. Here is an exciting truth that he has on his side. He feels the Lord has told him she is the one. Let me share a story that I believe helped him, and I hope it will help you with whatever you are struggling with today.

I am going to do a mixture of paraphrasing and quoting directly from Numbers 13 and 14. Let me set the scene. The Israelites had been in captivity for centuries in Egypt. In a miraculous move, God had brought them out of the land of Egypt. In his mercy and love, He wanted to take them to a new land flowing with milk and honey.

He wanted to take them to the Promised Land. However, a land that beautiful, lush and productive was already occupied. Therefore, when the Israelites arrived, they sent out 12 spies to go and scope out the Promised Land. What were they up against as they moved into enemy territory and claimed what God wanted to give them?

Numbers 13:17-20 reads: “When Moses sent them to explore Canaan, he said: “Go up through the Negev and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? It is good or bad? What kinds of town do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Fertile or poor? Are there trees? Do your best to bring back some fruit of the land”….they went and gathered clusters of grapes, pomegranates and figs and brought them back to Moses.

Verse 27 states: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people are powerful and the cities are fortified and large….” One of them, Caleb, spoke up knowing God was guiding them saying We can do this! But the other men said: “We can’t attack those people. They are stronger than us.” Then the rest of the spies told everyone “The land we explored devours those living in it. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes and we looked the same to them because they are of great size.”

Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (4) And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”

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