The first generation of Jews who were twenty and older did not enter the promised land.  They only believed in God, they did not believe God.  They had seen God deliver them from Egypt through the ten plagues.  They had seen God open the Red Sea and deliver them from the pursuit of the Egyptians.  They had been fed with manna and quail.  They had God with them in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.  They had a leader in Moses and received the Ten Commandments.  Yet when the twelve scouts searched out the land of Canaan only Joshua and Caleb “believed God” in spite of the opposition in the land and the scouts who saw the giants in the land didn't believe what God had promised them nor did that first generation.  When opposition and a challenge faced them, they murmured and complained.  They only believed in God when things were going well and because they could not see beyond the natural obstacle, they were fearful and unbelieving when things were tough.  When there was a challenge to their faith they lost their peace.  They lost their trust in God.

    Many people go to church and hear the word of God every week.  Some hear the word every day, but they only believe in God.  They don't believe God.  They don't take him at his word and when trial or persecution come, they murmur and complain.  They blame God and become angry.  If they make it through one test, they continue the ritual until the next trial and they are back to wondering where God is, wondering why they are in their particular predicament.  Yet there are some however who believe God and when trial or persecution come they keep their faith.  They keep their patience.  They stay focused on God and remember that all the promises of God are yea and amen. 

    Many people go to healing services.  They only believe in God.  Unless they receive an immediate healing they wonder where God is, why others got healed and they didn't.  They lose their faith in God, lose their peace and murmur and complain.  Others however believe God.  They stay focused and peaceful.  They trust God in spite of the apparent set back.  They keep believing God and his word.  These people are the ones God is pleased with, not just the ones who get an immediate answer to prayer, but those who keep their faith through the storm, it is also those God blesses.

    We pray for many people who only believe in God and wonder why our prayer is not answered.  It is not answered because those people lack faith.  They don't believe God and his word.  They don't believe beyond what they see.  When these people are delivered from one set of problems, when the next storm occurs, they are back murmuring and complaining and just like the first generation of Jews, God is not pleased with them.  Only those who believe God, walking by faith and not by sight, are the ones who will make it into the promised land.  St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians tells us that the wandering Jews in the desert were given to us as an example.  Learn the difference between only believing in God and believing God and be a person of faith.  When the next trial happens to occur in your life, stay focused on God and believe.  Eventually like the parable of the Sower, your heart will become fertile and you will bear fruit.  But if you only believe in God when things are good, and murmur and complain when things are coming against you, beware!  You are treading on thin ice.  Learn the lesson of Joshua and Caleb.  They were of a different spirit.

amen