GOD SENDS US PROBLEMS NOT TO DISCOURAGE US, BUT TO DEVELOP US.
“There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:33).
Did you know there are more than 9,000 promises in the Bible for the Christian? Do you claim them daily? Do you know where to find them in the Word of God?
Ever thought that something was impossible? Ever thought that things could be different but were afraid to do something about it? Ever thought that you were too demeaned to be able to change that reality? Some of the spies felt the pressure of not being able to face up to their anxieties and fears. We can identify with the spies on that score, for time and again, in our life we fail to face up to our fears and anxieties. We would rather live with the status quo, than do something about our situation and circumstance.
God is able to help you defeat the giants that you have in your life today. Your giant may be some obstacle, some stumbling block, some setback, some personal problem, some health issue, some financial issue, or some bad habit. Your giant could be some man, some woman, boy, or girl. But you don’t have to let the giant in your life keep you fearful and afraid because God is bigger and stronger than any giant, and He will give you the power to be victorious over the giants that you are facing in your life.
I don’t mind a good spy story, do you? There is something about the mystery that intrigues you to gather around the story and that tends to get you involved quickly. It is the story we are looking at in Numbers 13 that is packed with the technical sophistication and graphic action of modern espionage, but there is nonetheless a mystery and intrigue attached to the story of Moses sending out the twelve spies to check out the land of Canaan.
One man from each of the twelve tribes was chosen to be a spy, and each was a leader in his own right (v.3), and given the task of surveillance. They were twelve men who without a doubt were chosen because of their personal suitability for the task, men of intelligence and courage. Twelve men sent out for forty days (v.25) sufficient time for them to make their reconnaissance and report. Twelve men sent out as a company, drawing from each other mutual support and protection.
The twelve were sent to check out the inhabitants of the land—were they strong or weak, few or many. The twelve were sent to check out the countryside whether the land was good or bad. The twelve were sent to see whether the inhabitants of the land lived in tents or walled cities. The twelve had to assess whether the land was productive or unproductive.
We have to commend Joshua and Caleb in telling Moses that taking the land of milk and honey (Canaan) was possible. Caleb said it’s just as if God said, let’s go in! Some of us see giants and feel like grasshoppers that must hop away quickly, but a few of us see possibilities—thank God for that. When God is on our side absolutely nothing is impossible! We often stand at the edge of the Promised Land and God does not expect us to be afraid of the “giants” we may face along the way. Remember, two of the spies said, “Let us go up at once and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30). They saw the same spectacles in their survey of the land; but the result in the one case was panic, in the other confidence and peace. What made the difference? It was that the ten spies compared themselves with the giants, while the two spies compared the giants with God. “The Lord is with us, fear them not” (Numbers 14:9). Faith looks away from the greatness of her difficulty to the greatness of her God.
Yes, the ten spies saw giants, but Caleb and Joshua saw God! Those who doubt say, “We are not able to go up.” Those who believe say, “Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able.” Giants stand for great difficulties; and giants are stalking everywhere. They are in our families, in our churches, in our social life, in our own hearts; and we must overcome them or they will eat us up, as these men of old said of the giants of Canaan. The two men said, “They are bread for us; we will eat them up.” In other words, “We will be stronger by overcoming them than if there had been no giants to overcome.”
Now the fact is, unless we have the overcoming faith we shall be eaten up, consumed by the giants in our path. Let us have the spirit of faith that these men of faith had, and see God, and He will take care of the difficulties. It is when we are in the way of duty that we find giants. It was when Israel was going forward that the giants appeared. When they turned back into the wilderness they found none. There is a prevalent idea that the power of God in a human life should lift us above all trials and conflicts. The fact is the power of God always brings a conflict and a struggle. One would have thought that on his great missionary journey to Rome, Paul would have been carried by some mighty providence above the power of storms and tempests and enemies. But, on the contrary, it was one long, hard fight with persecuting Jews, with wild tempests, with venomous vipers and all the powers of earth and hell, and at last he was saved, as it seemed, by the narrowest margin, and had to swim ashore at Malta on a piece of wreckage and barely escape a watery grave. Was that like a God of infinite power? Yes, just like Him. And so Paul tells us that when he took the Lord Jesus Christ as the life of his body, a severe conflict immediately came; indeed, a conflict that never ended, a pressure that was persistent, but out of which he always emerged victorious through the strength of Jesus Christ.
How many come right up to the edge of salvation, get a glimpse of the joys others express, feel the conviction of the Spirit in their hearts but pull away because the giant of the world beckons to the? Felix in the Book of Acts, after hearing Paul relay the gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ says, “You may leave now; I’ll send for you later when I find it convenient to hear about this again.” How many come up to the edge of walking in total obedience to God, seeing the blessings of a consecrated life and the rewards of servanthood, desiring to be committed to that life, but decide that the price is too costly and the time too demanding? It wasn’t the giants in the land that made them complain and grumble against God, nor is it the obstacles in our own Christian life that keep us from a fulfilling walk with Christ, it is the giants in the heart—the giants of unbelief, of fear and of complacency that really keep us from enjoying God’s peace and presence.
Every Promised Land has its giants; every blessing has its challenges. When the rich man asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus answered, “Keep God’s commandments and sell all you have and come follow me.” The blessing of eternal life was met by the challenge of getting his priorities in order. Giants will always be in our lives—they are there to test our trust and belief as well as bring us to maturity. When things are difficult but gets done anyway, our faith grows and God gets the glory. Have you ever noticed when God is going to do something wonderful, He begins with a difficulty? When God is going to do something really stupendous, He begins with impossibility. The Israelites saw themselves as grasshoppers in the eyes of the giants, where instead they should have seen the giants as grasshoppers in the eyes of God. Remember when fear keeps you away from God’s leading—He is your refuge and you can do all things in Him who gives you strength.
A few giants show up and all of a sudden everything is just fine where we are, it’s not so bad here—just wandering around, no nation, no homeland, and no place to settle. The Israelites began to remember and long for the days when they were slaves in Egypt, “Oh, the garlic and the leaks.” Have you ever noticed that in your Christian walk? What fear and unbelief don’t do, comfort and complacency makes up for—suddenly mediocrity and the status quo seem just fine. If there is no risk, there will be no growth. The aim of comfort and complacency is to avoid taking risks. Now I am not talking about being reckless and irresponsible, but if we seek the Lord and feel the Spirit’s leading, we can risk the criticism and judgment of others and even the ridicule because God has blessed what we’re doing. Complacency avoids that at all cost and holds us back in our comfort zones.
Most times God works out of comfort zones and challenges us to go beyond them. Joshua and Caleb risked being singled out and outnumbered by the rest, yet they stood boldly and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land for we can certainly do it.” Of the entire group, these two were the only ones that God allowed to enter into the Promised Land because they trusted God and were willing to risk the obstacles for the blessings.
Sometimes all we can see are the giants and the challenges—there are size challenges, financial challenges, resource challenges, property challenges and yes there are even motivation and desire challenges. It appears the giants of unbelief, fear and complacency are winning. I feel where challenges were once perceived as opportunities to demonstrate our faith and trust in God’s provision are now seen only as insurmountable obstacles. Will you be one of two or one of the ten? Will you reap the blessings of God’s rest or will you waste them by wandering the wilderness? The exploration is over and the reports are in—how will you cast your vote? If giants can become grasshoppers then grasshoppers can become giants! So what do you see when you look into the future? Do you see giants, or do you see God?
