~Old Testament Scenarios~
Numbers
They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.
But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.”
Numbers 13:27-28 (NIV)
"What are the Giants in Your Land?"
Twelve mighty men were sent to spy and check out the promised land that lay ahead of the Israelites. Ten of the twelve returned shaking in their boots. What could discourage and demoralize a group of grown and clever men? When these ten men peeked over the hill and into the horizon to examine this lush land, full of such promise for their families, what stopped them in their tracks? What shook their very soul, had them trembling back in retreat and possibly had them screaming like a bunch of girls? Okay, that last thought REALLY isn’t in scripture, but is an example of my overactive imagination. The point is, these men were faced with giants in the land and they magnified this problem because in the very core of their hearts, they diminished God’s supremacy.
Moses had sent one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel to examine the land of Canaan that God had promised earlier to them, yet it had not been possessed by them. Ten of those twelve reported back that indeed the land was fruitful with grapes, pomegranates, and figs, but felt they would be defeated by the exceedingly large inhabitants and their strong reinforced city.
Contradiction arises when we acknowledge God’s provision and faithfulness regarding His promises and then use the contrary word “BUT”... as these foolish men did. This is a defeated word of unbelief when it corresponds to stating what God has imparted to each of us. Here we have the perfect example of what happens when we look at life with a limited human perspective and not with our God-given spiritual eyes. These were men who knew God’s truth, who had seen evidence of miracles, and yet they chose to live in powerless fear. God is always at work whether we choose to see it or acknowledge Him.
Before we start shaking our heads or pointing fingers at their sin of unbelief, have we ever tried to make God impotent by trying to place the Creator of the universe inside our dinky, imaginary box of reasoning? It’s impossible of course! Wasn’t it King Solomon (1 Kings 9:27) who proclaimed that even the highest heavens cannot contain the Lord? So why do we, time after time, try to limit God or discount His power, precepts, or presence?
Moses sent out twelve men, but only two came back with a “can-do” attitude, trusting the Lord would be with them as they moved forward. Joshua and Caleb silenced the others with their eagerness and quick obedience to possess the land. These were men who knew they only had to possess what God had already given them, and they were also the only two, from the original twelve, who walked into the land to reside there with their families.
How can each of us learn from this? Maybe we have to ask the questions; "Do we know Who we know? Do I believe what I believe?" When we know we might be facing the “giants” in our lives, what will be our plan of action? Do we call on the Lord for strength and vision to possess what He has already promised us, or do we tremble in retreat and unfurl doubt among others? Will we choose to walk out as a blood-bought child of God and in the power of the Holy Spirit? Didn’t Christ already win the victory? Now it’s up to us to place our faith in His work. A strong and stable faith is a sign of our growing and maturing. It’s the person who has thrown out that ridiculous, worthless, harmful “box”, and instead expectantly waits to be carried by the Lord fully resting in His authority and reliability. God Almighty’s name in Hebrew is El SHADDAI, for whom nothing is impossible!
This is your day...God has given it to you! What will you do with it? When you face those hard situations, events, and people, will you trust the Lord will give you whatever is needed to fight the “giant”? Will you choose this day to be a person with a godly perspective, living a spiritual life, where defeat is not an option (whether it’s in your vocabulary or in your heart)? Now go out and proclaim your victory in Christ!