You remember the story. God miraculously rescued the Israelites from Egypt, bringing them through the Red Sea, wiping out their enemies completely and delivering them with the wealth of Egypt.
At the edge of the Promised Land, Moses sent in 12 men to spy out the land. When they returned, they all agreed that it was a beautiful, abundant place.
Joshua and Caleb wanted to obey God and take the land.
'Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." [Numbers 13:30]
But the other 10 said...
'"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us."' [v.31]
Too Strong
Too strong for us. How many times have we felt that situations or circumstances were too strong for us? We cry out to God to help us, forgetting that He has already said He would never leave or forsake us. That He has said '...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' [1 Corinthians 15:57]
Too strong for us. How many times have we felt that situations or circumstances were too strong for us? We cry out to God to help us, forgetting that He has already said He would never leave or forsake us. That He has said '...thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.' [1 Corinthians 15:57]
Or 'But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.' [2 Corinthians 2:14]
Or 'But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.' [Romans 8:37]
Or "Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name. He will call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With a long life I will satisfy him and let him see My salvation." [Psalm 91:14-16]
When we doubt His Word, we're just like the other 10 guys. Or the rest of the people, who agreed with them rather than with the men of faith, Joshua and Caleb. Their unbelief kept them wandering in the desert for 40 years! Why?
Unbelief
Hebrews 3:19 says they were not able to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief. Hebrews 4:2 says '...but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.'
Hebrews 3:19 says they were not able to enter the Promised Land because of unbelief. Hebrews 4:2 says '...but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard.'
We think we're people of faith, but are we really? Are we a Joshua, a Caleb, or one of those other guys? Both had witnessed miracle after miracle, including the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. While still in Egypt, they had seen plagues come upon the Egyptians that didn't touch them. They saw the Red Sea part for them to go through on dry land only to see it close back over the world's most powerful army.
But the other guys looked at the circumstances and decided that they were stronger than God. That He either couldn't or wouldn't help them.
'The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." [Numbers 13:32,33]
Be a Joshua. Be a Caleb. Don't be one of those other guys. Believe God and His forever settled Word. He has promised to deliver us. [Jeremiah 39:17]
Make your mind up, like Caleb, that you will take the land and enter His rest. [Hebrews 4:3]
