Read Deuteronomy 1:19-36
Under the leadership of Moses, God led the people of Israel to the land He promised to give them. Getting there hadn’t been easy, but by the grace of God, they had arrived. However, up close it looked bigger and scarier than it sounded. Faith gave way to fear; trust crumbled under trepidation. They wanted to know exactly what to expect and a detailed map as to where to go from here.
Twelve men, leaders of their respective tribes, were sent by Moses to check out all God promised to give the people of Israel. They brought back a report: “We went to the land to which you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit! The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are huge and well fortified. Worse yet, we saw descendants of the giant Anak.” (Numbers 13:27,28 MSG)
Unfortunately, the only thing they heard was the “only thing.” Forget the fruit, they were freaked out by the report of giants. It didn’t help that ten of the men “fear-flated” what they had seen: “We scouted out the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole. Everybody we saw was huge. Why, we even saw the Nephilim giants (the Anak giants come from the Nephilim). Alongside them we felt like grasshoppers. And they looked down on us as if we were grasshoppers.” (Numbers 13:32,33 MSG)
No wonder they were overwhelmed. Anything measured against ourselves – size, strength, resources, abilities, experience, etc. – can seem distortedly large. We have such a limited perspective and knowledge. Instead, everything needs to be measured against our God. That was the message that Caleb and Joshua attempted to convey (see Numbers 14:7-9). But the people would not listen. Fear is contagious. It spread like a plague through the camp. We can’t became we won’t.
God agrees. If we can’t trust Him to get us through what He leads us to, we won’t draw from Him the necessary wisdom, strength and abilities. It doesn’t need to be that way. Just as can’t equals won’t, it is possible for can to equal will. It is a “can” based on faith in an involved, enabling God (Philippians 4:13).
God honored Caleb and Joshua’s “can” faith with the promise that they would personally possess the promise of God. A generation later, the Israelites finally walked by faith into the Promised Land. When it came time to distribute the land, Caleb claimed the promise God gave him. (See Joshua 14:6-14) Caleb knew just what part he wanted. He wanted the land of the giants! They were still there, well entrenched in fortified cities. He chose the best, but not the easiest. He chose what would still require strength and ability beyond himself (especially at age 85). But he still believed that God can, and so could he. According to Joshua 15:14, David wasn’t the only giant slayer in the Bible.
By faith and in dependence on God, you too can slay giants. Beginning with the giant lie of “I can’ts”!
Making it Personal
Arriving at a new challenge or opportunity can be frightening. What is making you feel like a grasshopper?
Stop and list at least three things God has done to get you to this place and time.
What is promised in Philippians 1:16?
A word for word translation of Philippians 4:13 is “All doing is in the enabling of me by Christ.” How does this deflate the lie of “can’t”?
Caleb chose the most challenging in order to give the best to his family and benefit others. How does that encourage you to slay your “can’t” and press forward to the victory God has for you today?
