Seeing Giants

“There is no way we can win.”  “There is no way this is going to work out for me.”  “We are just too small to have any chance of making a real difference.”

You can add you own favorite sayings to that list if you like. It is the beginning of a list of phrases by which we persuade ourselves that the goal we desire in our lives is unattainable. This kind of thinking goes back to our early days as human beings. You have perhaps heard of the group of men sent  by Moses to explore Canaan, the Promised Land, the “land flowing with milk and honey.” Twelve men are selected to observe and report what lies ahead; the fruit-bearing possibilities of the land; the nature of the enemy they will need to conquer if they are to possess the promised future God has prepared for them.

The men all report that the land is a wonderful place to live, with abundant resources. But ten of the men report that it is a hopeless task. “There are giants in the land.” Two of the men report that they can surely win the battle for the Promised Land.  You can guess whose report prevails. (Read more in Numbers 13-14).  

When you look at your life, at your family, at your work, at your place of worship, do you hold back yourself or people you love from receiving God’s promised future because you see giants in the way? Name your biggest fear, you most daunting challenge in your life right now.  Do you believe that God has a Promised Land for you on the other side of that challenge? Are you willing to confront the challenge, or do you see giants standing between you and God’s promised blessing?  Now do the same exercise for your family, workplace, your place of worship.

The truth was that there were no giants in the land. The ten men made up the bad report. Their fear of losing the present prevented them from taking up the opportunity to grasp God’s future. Friends, the “giants” you see are not real. These are manageable problems you can conquer. On the other side is God’s promised tomorrow.  Let hope replace fear.

Here is a prayer for those times we see giants standing between us and God’s blessings:

“God on the move, teach me how a reckless disobedience originates in a mere lack of trust. Forgive my unbelief that I prefer to call prudence, my fear that’s often masked as good sense. You call your church on a world-transforming mission: give me eyes of faith to trust you and follow in fearless obedience. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

(Credit: Philip F. Reinders, Seeking God’s Face, © Faith Alive Christian Resources, Grand Rapids 2010)