Once an
airplane is in the air, almost anyone can fly it. Keeping it in the air and
flying straight is
not the hard part. The
danger comes at
takeoff and landing. The
transitions are
the tricky parts!
Similarly,
in our lives, it is not the time of calm but the times of change
that test and
challenge us. It is how we
act during
times of transition that will determine how things turn out.
Seven
hundred years after the promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3), God’s
people are facing
a huge transition. They
are standing at
the edge of the Promised Land and they are about to see all their
hopes and
dreams comes true.
God said, “Send some
men to
explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites”
(Numbers 13:1),
so Moses chose the twelve of the best men that he could find and
sent them
in. When they returned,
they gave this
glowing report: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and
it does flow
with milk and honey!” (Numbers 13:27). They
told of how beautiful it was and even showed them some of the
fruit of the
land. It was everything
they could have
wanted.
However,
they went on to say, “But the people who live there are powerful,
and the
cities are fortified and very large…We can’t attack those people;
they are
stronger than we are… We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes,
and we
looked the same to them” (verses 28-33).
Upon
hearing this, Caleb tries to change the conversation. “We should go up and take
possession of the
land, for we can certainly do it… The land we passed through and
explored is
exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us
into that
land… and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord.
And do not be
afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them.
Their protection
is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them”
(Numbers 13:30 and
14:7-9).
What
happens next is one of the most critical moments in any believer’s
life. They must decide
whether they are going to be
led by faith or by fear. Will
they
believe that God can do what he said, or will they believe the
report that says
that it is impossible?
Ten
of
the best, Godly men, looked at that situation and their common
sense told them
that it was hopeless. Only
two of them
heard God say, “Go into the land that I am giving you!” (Numbers
13:1). How often are we,
as the church, standing
with the wrong group? How
often do we
forfeit the blessing that God is just waiting to give because we
do not believe
that he can do it? How
many churches
have closed their doors because we have convinced ourselves that
no one wants
to listen and there is no point in trying?
Discouragement
spreads quicker than encouragement.
Fear
cancels faith every time. A
common-sense
approach may seem smart, but spiritual success always hinges on
faith, trust
and risk.
Are
we
faithful or fearful?
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