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And do not be afraid of the people of the land . . . . Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them. Numbers 14:9
There they were, ready to open the great gift they had been given . . . and they got cold feet. It is the nation of Israel I am referring to, and you doubtless remember the story. God had promised His people a homeland in Canaan after 400 years of slavery in Egypt. Moses sent a party of twelve spies into the land to scout it out and bring back a report. He could hardly hear the good report of Joshua and Caleb for the rattling of the other ten spies’ knees knocking together out of fear!
What were they so afraid of? Giants in the land . . . walled cities . . . armies with chariots. Here they were a bunch of rag-tags who had never been in a battle. They had no weapons, no strategy, no strength. How could they defeat the armies of the Canaanite giants? Were Joshua and Caleb wishful thinkers, or did they know something the other ten spies didn’t? They knew what we must know if we are going to defeat the giants in our land: God makes no promises He does not keep.
God had promised that land to Israel’s forefather, Abraham (Genesis 12:7). All Israel had to do to inherit the land—which included defeating the giants—was believe God and follow His lead.
That’s all we have to do to defeat our giants as well. Here are the giants that we are most fearful of: an unsaved spouse, a wayward child, elderly parents in need of support, limited finances, unemployment, fear of growing old alone, lack of self-appreciation. These are real—but they’re not worth giving up the gift of God for. They must be engaged by faith and driven off your land—the land of your heart where the fruit of the Spirit is to grow in abundance (Galatians 5:22-23).
God has promised you peace and joy on this earth. But He did not say obtaining it would be battle-free. Our part is to strap on our spiritual armor (Ephesians 6:11-20) and engage the giants by faith. God’s part is to provide the victory He has promised.
Heavenly Father, There are giants in my land and on my horizon—and some of them are fearful to me. Give me the faith of Joshua and Caleb to submit my fears to Your promises. Amen.
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