This is really long, but worth the read, I think. Since I wrote this originally, I wrote a follow-up article entitled What Are You Saying to the Giants, which you may want to read as well.
You know the story...Moses sent 12 spies in to reconnoiter the Promised Land [read Numbers 13:1-14:38]. They came back with samples of the fruit of the land, and reported that, yes, the land did indeed flow with milk and honey. God's word was true!
But 10 of the spies explained that while it was everything God said it would be, there were powerful, strong people there, living in large, fortified cities. These were the sons of Anak, part of the Nephilim, which is the Hebrew word for giants.
We know that the other 2 spies, Joshua and Caleb, held out for God. Their report was "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." [Numbers 13:30]
Read the response from the 10 negative spies:
"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us...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 13:31-33]
Instead of looking at the unseen, the promises of God for them to possess this wonderful land, these 10 were 'being realistic.' They looked not only at the physical evidence—big people, strong cities—but they were looking at the deceptions of the enemy, as well. They were looking at the unseen, all right...just the wrong unseen!
Did they actually see the land devouring its inhabitants? Did they actually see or know that the Nephilim saw them as grasshoppers?
This is what Romans 1:21 calls futile speculations, or in the KJV, vain imaginations. I've got news for you...we are always seeing the unseen, because that's how we are designed. We are built to live both in the natural and the spiritual realms, like Adam, like Jesus...and our imagination is the eyes of the heart. [Ephesians 1:18]
They did get one thing right...they looked at the natural, physical circumstance and became like grasshoppers in their own sight. This is the point of view from which they then viewed everything else...the point of reference from which they came to the conclusion that they could not take the land, no matter what God said.
As we read on into Numbers 14, we see a couple of very interesting things. First, with the exception of Moses and Aaron, the whole camp sided with the naysayers. What a great snapshot of human nature! These are the ancestors of those who, in years to come, would persecute and kill the prophets of God! And we see this today, particularly in our news media...believe the worst, at all times, of everyone.
Second, we see the men of faith, Joshua and Caleb, standing strong.
'"The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey.
"Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. THEIR PROTECTION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THEM, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them."
'But all the congregation said to stone them with stones.' [Numbers 14: 7-10]
The amazing thing is that these people had just seen the supernatural power of God deliver them from slavery, open the Red Sea so that they could flee their enemies and destroy the most powerful army in the world! This was before they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years! They saw the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, protecting their camp from the Egyptians! They saw the favor of God upon them to plunder their former masters before they left Egypt!
What Happened Here?
These 10 men focused on the seen—the physical circumstance—and let their imaginations run wild. Instead of using this powerful ability to 'see' the promise of God, they used it to 'see' impending doom—their inevitable defeat.
And they listened to the enemy of God, the whisperer, the deceiver, whose only job is to kill, steal and destroy. [John 10:10]
An aside...
I think, and this is just my opinion, that anytime you see a mob picking up stones to kill someone, that satan is probably behind it. I think he's the father of mob mentality, wherever you see it. An angry mob tried to kill the woman caught in adultery, and twice tried to kill Jesus. Angry mobs stoned Paul and Steven...seems like a clear pattern to me. Look at old videos of Nazis storming Jewish ghettos, or of KKK lynch mobs. Satan is the father of the murderous mob, no matter what they claim to stand for.
Okay, I'm back...
How Does This Relate To Me?
We are in exactly the same position as the 12 spies. God has given us His precious promise so that we may become partakers of the Divine nature [2 Peter 1:4]. And we know, from 1 Corinthians 1:20, that 'For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen [so be it] to the glory of God through us.'
Like the Israelites, we have wonderful promises from God—promises of salvation, of the indwelling Trinity, of being strengthened with all power in our inner man, of healing and wealth and angelic protection. Promises for our children, of long life and honor.
But instead of standing for these promises and refusing to be denied—instead of 'seeing' them fulfilled in our lives like Joshua and Caleb did, most of us side with the 'realistic' crowd. You know the ones...the naysayers, the ones who urge us to be 'reasonable' and look at the obvious. The ones who declare us to be 'in denial' if we don't 'wake up and smell the coffee.' Or, my personal favorite, the ones being 'logical,' as if faith was only for the uneducated or intellectually stunted.
Most of us focus on the seen, which 2 Corinthians 4:18 tells us is temporal—passing, temporary. Of course, the deceiver is right there, whispering that the promise is not for you, or the answer might be no, or maybe God wants to keep you in this bad situation to teach you something, or some other lie straight from hell or church!
The truth is that God's Word is settled forever and His works were finished from the foundation of the world! [Psalm 119:89, Hebrews 4:3]
The seen is temporary—subject to change! And what will change these temporary circumstances? The eternal, settled forever Word of the Living God, dwelling in you—alive in your imagination and coming out of your mouth!
The Heart-Mouth Connection
Romans 10:10 says that with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness—a spiritual state of being—and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Salvation, or soteria in the Greek, means both spiritual and temporal redemption. Salvation in the spirit and on the earth...deliverance from the molestation of enemies! And we don't have any enemies in heaven, so guess what? It means right here, right now, delivered from the molestation of enemies!
In James 3, the tongue is compared to the rudder of a ship, or the bit in a horse's mouth. If you want to change the direction of your life, do it with the rudder...your tongue!
Deuteronomy 30:14 puts it this way: 'But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.' God then goes on to say that He has set before us life and prosperity, and death and adversity...so choose life! Choose it how? With your mouth!
Let's look at some additional scriptures...
'Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.' [Psam 19:14]
'My mouth will speak wisdom, and the mediation of my heart will be understanding.' [Psalm 49:3]
'The heart of the wise instructs his mouth...' [Proverbs 16:23]
"...For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart." [Matthew 12:34]"
But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man." [Matthew 15:18]
"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart. [Luke 6"45]
'...that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved...' [Romans 10:9]
"Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him." [Mark 11:22,23]
Obviously, there is a connection between the heart and the mouth. And we are told to see the unseen, with the eyes of our heart.
This is exactly what Joshua and Caleb did. They 'saw' the promise of God, and said "We are well able to take the land!" They didn't 'listen' to the giants, or to the deceiver...they listened to God! They took Him at His word! And they were the only 2 men of the 12 spies that eventually got to go into the Promised Land!
Don't Do It
So don't do it. Don't listen to the giants at the edge of your promised land. Jesus told us that out of the heart, the mouth speaks...so see the fulfilled promise of God with the eyes of your heart, and when your heart is fully convinced, speak it with your mouth.
Another aside...
It's my personal opinion that the giants, or seemingly insurmountable obstacles, are always positioned at the border of the promised land, whatever that is. There weren't any giants keeping the Israelites out of the wilderness...they were stationed strategically at the entrance into God's best and wonderful will for them. So it is with us. If the circumstances seem overwhelming and are in direct contradiction to the Word of God, you know you've got giants. Treat them like vermin...squash them!
And here's another clue...if you're hearing 'You can't do it, it's not going to happen, what are you going to do, it's not going to work...' you've got giants! Spray them with the Word of God!
Ok, back to the topic...Job 22:28 says to decree a thing and it will be established for you. Jesus told us to speak to the physical world and it would obey and then He demonstrated it! And remember, you have the faith of God, because He's the only Spirit in there! If you died with Christ, He is reborn in your earthen vessel, and the Father and the Comforter dwell there with Him [John 14].
Don't do it. Don't spend your time looking at circumstances and imaging the worst. Look at the forever settled Word of God and imagine the best! Imagine the impossible, because the God of the Red Sea lives in you! You've been strengthened with all power in your inner man...see the unseen and speak to your circumstances. You're rooted and grounded in love, and filled up to all the fulness of God! He is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us!
You are well able to take the land!
