"…How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me.." (Num. 14:11)?

     The Lord is speaking about His people, His garden, in this verse.  They had come out of Egypt, seen so many signs and miracles, yet the majority were filled with unbelief because of what they now saw.  

     Sins of unbelief are as "root suckers"; they suck strength from the root and shoot up their own shoots out of the earth. Gardeners have to either dig down and cut them off, or when they have grown a little, the gardener wraps the whipline growth tightly around one hand and yanks with all his might to separate the base of the sucker from the rootstock.  This is the only way to ensure that the root sucker will not grow again.

     Oh Christian, watch for signs of unbelief in your Christian life.  If you can't rejoice in tribulation, you have unbelief in your heart (Jas. 1:2-8).  The Lord says, "All things are for your sake" (II Cor. 4:15).  

     If you are His, He will have to use strong and severe methods to bring you out of your unbelief so that your tree will grow up strong and tall and deeply rooted.

     He is very grieved when He is doubted and dishonored after He has shown so much mercy.  He may withdraw His felt presence from us until we learn to trust Him in all things (S.O.S. 5:6).  

     May we learn to use all the evil, and all the things we don't like in our lives, to grow in grace and the knowledge of our Savior.  That is what it is all there for.

     Oh Christian, don't be a root sucker!  You will be causing harm and shame to your Root.  Ask your Gardener to give you grace to get rid of all your unbelief (Mk. 9:24).