Spying Out the Land

I wonder if any of you remember the song from Sunday School days that starts out: “Twelve men went to spy in Canaan – Ten were bad, Two were good.”

Yes, it’s based on what happened when Moses sent twelve men to suss out the situation in Canaan – prior to the Israelites going in to possess it –  the Promised Land that God had said He was giving to them.  They spent 40 days scouting out what the country was like – the inhabitants, what the land was like for growing things, and so on. 

We’re told that two of the men were named as Joshua and Caleb, but we’re not told the names of the other ten.  But we are told the report that was given to Moses on their return!  They described it as being a “land flowing with milk and honey”…. and brought back some of the fruit to prove it.

The Report

I believe that all twelve men that went were agreed on the richness and possibilities of the land – but, unfortunately, that’s where the agreement ended.  Joshua and Caleb were both agreed on advising that they should go and ‘possess’ the land immediately.  However, the other ten said that there were giants in the land and that there was no way in which they could consider attempting going against them – it was impossible to succeed.

What Happened?

Why such a difference of opinion?  Why did the trip result in ten men pretty well scared witless, who wouldn’t even try to enter and possess the land?  And yet there were two men on the same trip – completely convinced that the army should set out straight away to take it over.

I believe the ‘difference’ was in the way the two different sets of people looked at the situation.  Joshua and Caleb were convinced in their hearts that God wanted to take the army into Canaan and take over the land.  Of course they would have been aware of the ‘giants’ – but they chose to ‘see’ with the eyes of their spirit, so they saw what God showed them in regard to the situation.  Basically they chose to look at God – instead of looking at the enemy!

I think the ten other men had no idea what God wanted to accomplish for the Israelites.  As soon as they set their eyes on the ‘giants’ – that was all they could see, and everything else went out the window!  And what was the result of their unbelief and unwillingness to be obedient to what God wanted to do?  The Israelites spent the next 40 years wandering in the wilderness of the desert and, out of all the adult Israelites from that event, the only two who actually entered the Promised Land – were Joshua and Caleb.  All the others died in the desert…..

The Giant Challenge

When the ‘ten’ men looked at the giants, they commented that “….we were in our own sight as grasshoppers”.  This was because they thought that was how the giants saw them!  We can so easily take on board what other people might see / think of us – and make their thoughts our own…..

I wonder what ‘giants, you are facing in your walk with the Lord currently?  And, even more importantly, what you ‘see’ when you look at them and, resulting from that, what you ‘see’ concerning yourself?  Are you feeling overwhelmed and unable to go forward because they, plus your thoughts, are blocking the way….. OR are you making the choice to look away and look to your God to lead you through and past the ‘giants’ with the strong grip that He has on you.  To see yourself as God sees you and believe that He is able to do in and through you all He plans to in these coming days.

Take Courage

Be encouraged!  Your Father knows exactly where He’s taking you, even if you’re not sure; and knows exactly what He’s taking you forward to do for Him in His Kingdom.  Keep yours eyes fixed on Him, and Him alone, and determine to walk in the mindset that He’s given – and let the enemy go and stamp his feet elsewhere in his frustration at not being able to manipulate you into his way of thinking…..