WHAT GIANTS ARE YOU BATTLING?
We are often caught in a battle between faith and fear, belief and doubt, action and inaction. Depending on what we choose determines either a positive or negative outcome. We see the profound effects of fear-based, faithless choices in ten of twelve men whom Moses sent to explore the land of Canaan, also called “The Promised Land.”
God told Moses to choose 12 men—a ruler from each of the 12 tribes—to explore the land of Canaan that “I am giving to the Israelites" (Numbers 13:2 NIV). This was an eternal promise to Abraham and his descendants to possess the Promised Land on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea west of the Jordan River, encompassing modern Lebanon, portions of southern Syria, Israel and the West Bank. (Genesis 17:8; Deuteronomy 32:49; Leviticus 25:38). So, Moses sent twelve men to explore Canaan, with these instructions:
“Go up through the Negev (present-day Israel) and on into the hill country. See what the land is like and whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor? Are there trees in it or not? Do your best to bring back some of the fruit of the land” (vs. 17-20).
Forty days later the men returned, with several men carrying grapes that were so large and heavy that they had to be carried on a large pole. The men, who had spied out the land, then gave the following account:
“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! This represents a land rich and bountiful. (The reference to “milk” suggests the livestock had plentiful pasture. “Honey” suggests there was vast farmland and an abundance of plants for bees to draw nectar from).
Ten of the men immediately added, “But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan” (Vs. 27-29).
Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the ten men argued, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” So, those men spread a bad report among the Israelites by saying, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (giants and descendants of Anak). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them” (vs. 30-33).
God was angry with the ten spies, who because of their distrust and lack of faith and obedience, stirred up the people against Joshua and Caleb. So, God struck down those ten men with a plague and they died.
God then judged the people of Israel who had listened to and believed the negative report, so they were made to wander the desert for 40 years. Only those under the age of twenty would eventually be led to the Promised Land by both Joshua and Caleb who had trusted and believed God.
The enemy’s M.O. (Modus Operandi) is to rob, kill, and destroy. So, he presents a lie as the truth and sets stumbling blocks with past failures, fears, and doubts to dissuade us from moving forward with God. But God says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-20 NIV).
God calls us to overcome what we perceive as an unsurmountable “giant.” In truth, the enemy is a defeated foe who makes a lot of noise to distract us from our mission to trust God, to share the gospel, and to fulfill the plans that He has for you and for me.
When God calls us to do something for Him, he always makes a way for us to carry out His instructions and complete the task that may even be out of our comfort zone. It could be one of many things such as changing jobs, making a difficult decision, taking a different career path, sharing the Gospel, or overcoming a “giant” (stronghold) such as a repetitive sin, a negative habit, or an enslaving addiction.
The list of “giants” depends on what is daily controlling our life, especially when that control stops us from fulfilling our potential and brings about our destruction, as in the case of the unbelieving spies. Unfortunately, there is that nagging temptation to believe the lie that the “giant” we face is insurmountable. But when we trust God, He makes a way and opens doors to victory and freedom.
Failure to trust God often comes from a history of striving for unachievable perfectionism. Much of that is born out of criticism from those who continually told us that we could not accomplish our goals. And it is in believing and allowing those lies to take root, that doubt overshadows and stifles our ability to overcome our “giant.”
Prior to my relationship with Christ, I strove every day to be perfect in everything I did, and it was exhausting. It was liberating to know that the perfect, sinless Christ came to save all of us, who are imperfect people living in an imperfect, sinful world.
Today, I do all things through Christ, who strengthens me to accomplish each assignment that He gives me (Philippians 4:13). That was a great revelation to know that when God calls me to a task, He has already equipped me to perform it. Therefore, it is my responsibility to recognize that giant of doubt that tries to prevent me from moving forward in faith. I am then able to reject negative thoughts and lies, renew my mind with God’s Word, and walk in faith (Ephesians 4:22-24).
Hopefully, the story of the ten unbelieving spies, who failed to believe and obey God, is an encouragement to defeat our personal “giants” through obedience to God. He will surely help us overcome obstacles, because He has already given us the ability to complete what He requires of us.
We now come to the pivotal question, “What giants are you battling and not trusting God to help you overcome?” Your faith-filled "yes” to God will allow Him to make a way for you to walk in His will and take possession of your “promised land?”
PRAYER: FATHER, forgive me for those times when I have either ignored or not obeyed Your direction because of fear and doubt. I ask that You help me to have the mindset of Joshua and Caleb who completely trusted You and did not fear the looming giants that were before them. They knew that if You called them to a task, that You would equip them for success. So, I ask for the gifts of faith and trust to overcome my giant and believe that You equip me for the task that You are calling me to accomplish. In Jesus’ name, amen.