SCRIPTURE: Numbers 13
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.” [Matthew 10:16] Jesus spoke these words to His twelve disciples when He sent them on their first mission. Moses could have said the same thing to the twelve tribes of Israel as they were preparing to enter Canaan. The spies come back from their first foray into Canaan and confirm that it is a land flowing with milk and honey… and grapes! But there are giants! When Caleb suggests that they should go in faith, the others reply, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” [Numbers 13:31].
Are we up for the challenge that the Lord calls us to? Do we have what it takes to succeed in His mission? Well the answer is NO and YES. NO, we do not have it in ourselves. We are like sheep before the wolves, like grasshoppers before giants. On the other hands, YES, we do have God with us. We can be confident not because we are up to the challenge, but He is. God in Jesus has taken on and defeated the powers of hell. He is with us, He is in us, and greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world [1 John 4:4].
Jesus tells His disciples not to be afraid when they are called before the wolves, because the Spirit of God in them will give them what they need to stand up and speak up for Jesus! We have this same assurance.
But notice the power of fear. Notice how the majority are more convinced by their fear than their faith. And notice how their report is believed sooner than Caleb’s. The truth is, we are naturally inclined toward doubt and fear. We spend a lot of time reflecting on the powers of sin, death and hell. We meditate on them, dwell on them, worship them. We put them in God’s place, and are convinced that they are greater than He is.
The fact is, we are sheep, and there are wolves out there. And there are no guarantees that we will survive the mission physically, or without pain or suffering (ask the disciples on this). But as disciples, we are more committed to the mission, than to our survival. We know that our eternal rest is secure. We are dedicating ourselves to secure others. And for that, we may suffer, we may even die (ask Jesus about this). But our efforts, our service, is never in vain. The victory is won! We are guaranteed! He will use us, He will make us successful. The grasshoppers will win! Will we choose to believe this?
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me for worshipping my problems. Help me to spend more time meditating on You, than on the size or severity of my problems.
Where would China be if Hudson Taylor did not stand up like Caleb and say,
“Lets go and take the land – we can do it!”
How would the tribal villages ever hear about the truth of God if Jim Elliot and his collegues never ventured out to tell them?
Yes, it was true, like the fears of the other 10 spies of Israel, that the people are dangerous – and yes, Jim and those men died an awful death – but God’s work did not die when the men died. It wasn’t about their ability to avoid death that made their life successful. It was about the power of God that penetrated into the lives of the culture they were going to that would make the difference.
I am becoming more and more aware of the need for me to listen and obey the voice of the Lord. And how important it is for me to remain close to Him in order to identify His voice from fear and the deception of the devil. Bottom line is whether or not I trust God. And also, my trust in God is not based on whether it will profit me personally or not. That is what I need to surrender. It is not about my story – it is about God’s story lived out through me.
I am encouraged when I hear the witness of other brothers and sisters in Christ that have stepped forward in this trust and see the amazing things God performs. Those things would never occur if we did not step forward and followed God. We would be stuck wandering in a miserable dessert bound in our fears … no thanks!
I need daily reminders. I still wear a bracelet which syas WWJD – Walk With Jesus Daily. How is my walk? Is it by faith or by sight? Just as the majority report to the people of Israel – they saw with their eyes only the obstacles that needed to be overcome. They did not see nor rely on the promises of God who told them where to go. God makes the Way. God promised them to possess the land. I too need to stand on the promises of God each day. My focus, my vision needs to be the upward look, for all my power comes from Him. When I have the downward look, I tend to rely on what my hands can do. I can be a victor in Him. Help me not be a victim of self reliance. In Christ Jesus we are more than conquerors!
Standing on the promises of Christ my King,
Through eternal ages let His praises ring,
Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,
Standing on the promises of God.
Refrain:
Standing, standing,
Standing on the promises of God my Savior;
Standing, standing,
I’m standing on the promises of God.
Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.