Numbers 13:1-3, 26-33 (http://www.biblegateway.com)
New International Version (NIV)
Exploring Canaan
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
Report on the Exploration
26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 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.”
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
In God's word he promises many thing to us and yet how often are we doubters like the Israelites. How often do we fail to be a person of faith like Caleb? How often do we leave fruit on the tree because we don't have enough faith to go and pick it off?
Caleb believed God's promises in verses 1 to 3 and was ready to walk in faith. Are we prepared to believe God's promises such as "he will never leave us or forsake us", "his grace is sufficient" or are we leaving precious fruit on the tree to spoil instead of to enjoy simply because we do not have faith.
So often in my own life I fail to trust God even with the simplest of things. Lately I have been reminded to ask him for help as I navigate a heavy workload and I am amazed at his provision when I ask, ask in faith and don't try and manipulate the outcome.
30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
In God's word he promises many thing to us and yet how often are we doubters like the Israelites. How often do we fail to be a person of faith like Caleb? How often do we leave fruit on the tree because we don't have enough faith to go and pick it off?
Caleb believed God's promises in verses 1 to 3 and was ready to walk in faith. Are we prepared to believe God's promises such as "he will never leave us or forsake us", "his grace is sufficient" or are we leaving precious fruit on the tree to spoil instead of to enjoy simply because we do not have faith.
So often in my own life I fail to trust God even with the simplest of things. Lately I have been reminded to ask him for help as I navigate a heavy workload and I am amazed at his provision when I ask, ask in faith and don't try and manipulate the outcome.
Am I desiring to be a Caleb or am I like many of the Israelites, unbelieving and spreading my discontent like a disease?
Our God is a God who follows through on his promises.
How Great Is Our God (Chris Tomlin)
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