Every college basketball team dreams of reaching the “promised land”—the NCAA Final Four. The tournament is appropriately branded the “Road to the Final Four” because getting there requires surviving one challenge after another. Most years, more than 70,000 fans pack the stadium for each Final Four game, with millions more watching on television. After a long season and a grueling tournament, only four teams remain. They have finally reached the destination they have pursued all season.

Numbers 34-35 – Faithful God

Israel had traveled a much longer road to a far greater promised land. Generations earlier, God had promised the land to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. After slavery in Egypt, deliverance through the Red Sea, years of wandering in the wilderness, repeated failures, and countless demonstrations of God’s faithfulness, the time had finally come.

In Numbers 34-35, God established the boundaries of the land and explained how it would be divided among the tribes of Israel. God scattered the Levites throughout the territories as a continual reminder of Israel’s need for holiness and obedience. God also established cities of refuge where someone who unintentionally caused another person’s death could flee for protection. Even as Israel prepared to possess the land, God was demonstrating His holiness, justice, mercy, and faithfulness.

The road to God’s promises isn’t always easy. Sometimes the obstacles in front of us appear much bigger than our ability to overcome them. But Israel’s story reminds us that our confidence isn’t found in the size of our strength—it is found in the character of our God. The God who was faithful yesterday, will still be faithful tomorrow.

The Kingdom Coach and Athlete focus on God’s faithfulness rather than the size of the challenges before them. They remember what He has done in the past, trust what He has promised, and move forward in faith—knowing that God always remains faithful.

Bible Verse: “And you shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I, Yahweh, am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.” Numbers 35:34 (LSB)