At the border of the Promised Land, the Israelites gave into fear and unbelief. The terrible consequence was that they forfeited their opportunity to experience the life that God wanted to give them. As we seek to follow God, we face a constant battle between trusting in Him or giving in to our fears. We can choose to focus on His power and His faithfulness, or we can choose to focus on everything that scares us. The choice is ultimately between a life of joy and impact in God's service, or a life of self-protection, a life that will never be all that God intends to give us.