Don't Settle: Keep Moving Toward God's Promises
- The Chapel Ministry
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
"The Jordan River was never meant to be a destination—it was meant to be crossed."
One of the greatest dangers in the Christian life isn't walking away from God. It's settling.
Settling often doesn't look like rebellion. It doesn't always appear sinful or reckless. In fact, it can look practical, comfortable, and even wise. Yet settling for less than God's best can quietly rob us of the fullness of His promises.
In Numbers 32, Pastor Jeremy Eastman pointed to a moment in Israel's history that serves as a warning for believers today. After years of slavery in Egypt and decades of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites finally stood at the edge of the Promised Land. The Jordan River was all that remained between them and the inheritance God had promised.
Yet not everyone wanted to cross.
What You See Can Distract You From What God Said
The tribes of Reuben and Gad looked at the land east of the Jordan River and noticed something appealing. The land was ideal for their livestock. It was fertile, productive, and immediately beneficial.
Instead of focusing on God's promise, they focused on what they could see.
They approached Moses and asked for permission to settle there rather than cross into the Promised Land.
Their decision teaches us an important lesson: what we see can distract us from what God said.
Too often we allow visible circumstances to carry more weight than God's promises. We evaluate opportunities based on comfort, convenience, finances, or familiarity rather than obedience.
Faith requires us to trust God's Word even when our eyes are drawn to something else.
The question every believer must ask is simple: Am I making decisions based on what I see, or on what God has spoken?
Comfort Is the Enemy of Calling
The land outside the Promised Land wasn't bad. That was the problem.
If it had been obviously dangerous or barren, the decision would have been easy. Instead, it was comfortable.
Comfort often disguises itself as wisdom. It tells us to stay where things are familiar. It encourages us to avoid risk, avoid sacrifice, and avoid stepping into the unknown.
But God's calling frequently requires movement.
Crossing the Jordan would require faith. It would require trusting God with battles they hadn't fought yet and territory they had not yet possessed.
Staying where they were felt safer.
Many believers find themselves facing the same choice today. God is calling them deeper into prayer, service, generosity, leadership, evangelism, or obedience, but comfort whispers, "You're doing enough already."
The greatest threat to God's calling on our lives may not be failure. It may be comfort.
Stop Building Houses Where God Intended Tents
One of the most memorable challenges from Pastor Jeremy's message was this:
Stop building houses where God intended tents.
The Israelites were still on a journey. God had not brought them out of Egypt simply to stop short of the promise.
Yet Reuben and Gad wanted to establish permanent roots in a temporary place.
How often do we do the same thing?
God allows seasons of preparation, healing, growth, and transition. These seasons are important, but they are not always intended to be permanent.
Sometimes we become so comfortable in a season that we stop pursuing what God has next.
We begin building permanent structures in places where God only intended us to pitch a tent.
The Jordan River was never meant to be a destination. It was a crossing point.
Likewise, many of the places God brings us through are not where He intends us to stay.
The Cost of Settling
Moses immediately recognized the seriousness of the tribes' request.
He reminded them of their fathers' generation, who had allowed fear and unbelief to keep them from entering the Promised Land. That decision resulted in forty years of wandering and an entire generation missing their inheritance.
Settling always costs more than we realize.
When we stop pursuing God's best, we don't just affect ourselves. Our decisions influence our families, our churches, and future generations.
Every step of faith leaves a legacy.
Every act of complacency does as well.
Our children learn from our example. Future believers are impacted by our choices. The spiritual inheritance we leave behind is shaped by whether we choose faith or comfort.
It's Contagious
Another powerful truth Pastor Jeremy highlighted is that settling is contagious.
Moses feared that the decision of Reuben and Gad would discourage the rest of Israel from moving forward. Their unwillingness to cross the Jordan could influence an entire nation.
The same principle remains true today.
Passion for God is contagious.
Faith is contagious.
Obedience is contagious.
But complacency is contagious too.
When believers become satisfied with minimal commitment, spiritual growth slows. When Christians stop expecting God to move, others can begin lowering their expectations as well.
On the other hand, when people pursue God wholeheartedly, their faith inspires others to do the same.
Our spiritual choices are never made in isolation. They affect everyone around us.
Keep Moving Forward
The Christian life was never designed to be stagnant.
God continually calls His people to grow, mature, and advance His Kingdom. The Church is not meant to be a resting place but a launching pad. We gather to be equipped and then sent into the world to make a difference for Christ.
God has more for every believer.
More growth.
More purpose.
More impact.
More intimacy with Him.
But receiving God's promises requires a willingness to keep moving forward in faith.
A Call to Cross the Jordan
Perhaps you've found yourself settling.
Maybe you've become comfortable in a place God intended to be temporary. Maybe you've allowed what you see to distract you from what God said. Maybe comfort has begun replacing calling.
The good news is that God is still inviting you forward.
The Jordan is still waiting to be crossed.
Today is an opportunity to renew your commitment to Christ, trust His promises, and take the next step of faith.
Don't settle for less than God's best.
Don't build a house where God intended a tent.
Don't let comfort keep you from your calling.
And don't forget that your faith influences those around you.
Faith is contagious, but so is complacency.
The question is: What are we spreading?
God's best awaits those who trust Him enough to keep moving forward.
Comments