“So we may boldly say: ‘The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6, NKJV)
The report of twelve men affected the course for an entire nation. Ten held one opinion; two held another. This isn’t a story of current events. It’s the story of Israel in the wilderness. As often happens, the loudest voices drew the most followers.
Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land of Canaan. They were to bring back information on the land and its people. What were the cities like? How many people were there? How strong were they? Did they live in tents or in strongholds? The spies spent forty days exploring the land and its potential. All twelve agreed. It was a wonderful land, flowing with milk and honey. They even brought back samples of the fruit of the land.
GRASSHOPPERS AND GIANTS
Ten of the twelve spies then continued to speak with fear, and that changed everything. Amalekites and Canaanites populated the land, they said. Even worse, there were giants in the land, the sons of Anak.
“The land is wonderful, the fruit is amazing . . . but there are giants.”
“But.” Isn’t it strange how that one little word holds such power when we face difficult situations? That’s when fear creeps in.
“Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” (Numbers 33:33, NLT).
The consensus of the congregation? God got us into this mess. This is too risky. Let’s get a new leader and head back to Egypt.
FAITH OVER FEAR
Two voices, Joshua and Caleb, disagreed. They possessed faith and the boldness to withstand the report of the ten before the entire congregation. The land was good and God was with them. They could do it!
“If the LORD delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’” (Numbers 14:8, NKJV)
The scene grew ugly for a while. The people chose the voice of the ten over the voice of the two. The crowd even went so far as threatening to stone Joshua and Caleb. (You can read the full story in Numbers 13 and 14.)
Ten spies saw the size of the enemy, but they failed to recognize the size of their God. Two men possessed a faith so strong it blocked out any fear. They knew their God was all-powerful. His power was greater than any enemy that might come their way.
OUR GIANTS
Our giants may not be physical giants like the sons of Anak, but we all face problems that seem bigger than we can handle. The choice is ours. Do we live by faith? Or do we live by fear? Do we allow the voices of the crowd drown out our faith in God. Or do we have the boldness of Joshua and Caleb to declare, “God can do it!” With God at our side, we are not like grasshoppers trying to stare down giants. We are men and women who choose faith in our God over any fear of the enemy.
- “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:3-4, NKJV)
- “For I, the LORD your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” (Isaiah 41:13, NKJV)
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
