Deuteronomy 1:40

Deuteronomy 1:40 says, But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea.  Moses said that he told the people at the time when they believed those spies who said they could not win instead of believing God what God's command was. to turn and go into the wilderness.  Verse forty-one says,  Then ye answered and said unto me, We have sinned against the LORD, we will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us. And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up into the hill.  The people said hat they had sinned against the LORD and were going to arm themselves and fight.  This still did not mean that they had put their faith in God.  People may see that they aren't getting what we want out of life and profess to turn to God without really having faith in Him.  Verse forty-two continues, And the LORD said unto me, Say unto them, Go not up, neither fight; for I am not among you; lest ye be smitten before your enemies.  Moses said God told him to tell them not to do this, because God was not among them.  God said if they did this they would be defeated.  God had already pronounced His judgment on them, and now it was too late.  We cannot decide to follow Christ only when think it will get us what we want, but must follow Him when He calls.  Verse forty-three states, So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up into the hill.  The people of Israel didn't listen, but went into the land to fight without God being with them.  We cannot just decide what we want to do and think that God has to bless us, especially if He has already told us no.  Verse forty-four adds, And the Amorites, which dwelt in that mountain, came out against you, and chased you, as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.  Moses reminded them that they were totally routed by the enemies they faced, just as we will be today if we are operating under our own power and not listening to what God tells us to do.  Verse forty-five continues, And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.  Moses then said that they returned and wept before the LORD, but He would not hear them.  I believe this was because they were still trying to get God to do what they wanted.  If we devise our own plan and go against God's word, then even if we suffer defeat and cry out to Him, we are not going to get Him to endorse what we want to do.  Verse forty-six concludes, So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.  The people of Israel then stayed where they were several days instead of going where God had told them to go.  When God tells us to go somewhere, even if it isn't where we want to go, there is no reason to stay where we are.