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"For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness..." Joshua 5:6

Good morning, dear friends,

Photo: geralt pixabay

Today is my birthday, so happy birthday to me!  Another year older, another year creak-ier, another year gray-er, another year...gone!  For all its good, and for all its bad, my year is done, and another one begins today.

This is not a "milestone" year--that was last year.  I turned 40, and it didn't feel any different than 39.  Some wonderful friends kidnapped me to England for the day, my first time ever visiting that country.  What special memories were in store for me that day!  Now, I feel that having passed the 40 milestone, being 40 + 1 is...not so bad.  Except for the days when my body feels forty, I actually feel surprisingly good.

Forty is a very popular number in the Bible.  There are a LOT of mentions of the number forty, and many Bible scholars refer to forty as being the number of testings or trials.  If that is the case, have you ever given thought to the number 41?  If forty is the number representing trials, shouldn't the number right after have a special meaning?

Here are some interesting 40 + 1 in the Bible:

The forty-first day after the rain.  In Genesis 7, I read about the judgment that God sent to the earth in the form of the flood, allowing torrential rain to pour down from heaven for...forty days.  Even safe inside the Ark, what a strange and terrifying experience that must have been for the eight people on board!  Noah and his family had the promise of God's protection from the storm, but they still had to go through the storm!  How comforting to know that even in the midst of trials and testings, God is there with me.  How much Noah and his family must have been relieved, on that forty-first day, to realize that the rain had stopped, even though they spent much more time on the Ark after those forty days.  Isaiah 43:2 reminds me, "When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee..."

The forty-first day of spying.  In Numbers 13 and 14, God records what should have been the end of the children of Israel's journey through the wilderness and into the promised land.  Moses sent out the spies for, you guessed it, forty days (Numbers 13:25).  All but Joshua and Caleb gave a negative report of the land, reasoning in their human logic that it was impossible for the children of Israel to prosper and be victorious in the land.  Instead of putting their faith and trust in God for His power and provision, they chose to be overwhelmed by their circumstances.  What must those forty days in the promised land have been like for the spies?  They saw the fertile ground, the plenteous food, the possibilities...and the obstacles.  What a difference my life here on earth would be if I would have Joshua and Caleb's courage: "The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land.  If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us..." (Numbers 14:8-9)  Their faith on this forty-first day is amazing.  May the Lord grant me to show as much faith in the face of such daunting obstacles.

The forty-first year...after the wanderings.  The book of Joshua has been such an encouragement throughout the years.  The children of Israel are finally on the verge of receiving God's promise, after their years of delay through their unbelief.  Their leader Moses had just died, and it was up to Joshua to take the reins and lead God's people into the promised land.  What a year that first year was!  After wandering for forty years in the wilderness, they were able to enjoy all of the riches of God's blessings!  It was also a year of great triumphs and trials, victories and defeats.  How much hard work waited for them to claim God's promise!  I love God's promise to Joshua in the beginning of the book:  "Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest." (Joshua 1:9)  I do not know all the trials and blessings this new year of my life will bring, but I can have the trust and assurance of the Person who accompanies me in it.

The forty-first day...after the temptations.  Jesus's time in the wilderness was not an easy one.  Matthew 4:1 states that the reason He was there was "to be tempted of the devil." (Matthew 4:1).  Even in the midst of temptation and physical weakness, Jesus found His source of comfort and refreshing in God's Word.  With each temptation, Jesus reminded Satan of God's unchangeable Word, "It is written..." (Matthew 4:4, 7, 10).  Should I do any less?  God's Word should be more precious to me now each day than the one before it.  Whatever temptations come my way, may I be willing to find my answers not in my own wisdom or knowledge, but in the perfect knowledge that comes from knowing God's Word and applying it to my life.

After seeing all these 40 + 1 in the Bible, I realize that before the testings, God was always there.  God was very present, even during the testings and trials, and sustained His people with grace and help.  As I am entering my 40 + 1, should I not expect any less from my God?

May God allow me a closer walk with Him this year than ever before.  Here's to another +1...