When Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt by the mighty hand of
God their faith in God became the biggest issue that they faced. After
seeing God's hand of protection while Egypt struggled under the plagues
we see something in the scriptures that reveal God's true nature even
before Israel began their journey to the Promised Land. First, we see
God provision and favor on His people, "Speak now in the hearing of
the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from
her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold. And the LORD
gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians." (Exodus 11:2-3) Next, we see God's desire and power to heal, "He also brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none feeble among His tribes." (Psalm 105:37)
Take a moment to think about these things. Israel spent 430 years in
Egypt (Exodus 12:40-41) were oppressed for 400 years (Acts 7:6) at the
hand of Egyptians taskmasters (Exodus 1:11-14). Yet when they departed
Egypt they left with the silver and gold of the Egyptians and not one
person was lacking in physical or mental strength; none were frail or
weak in any way. In brief, during their journey to the Promised Land,
God leads them, protects them and preserved them from hunger and thirst,
yet their faith
or trust in God was little at best. The apostle Paul tells us that
during their journey, Israel lusted after evil, some became idolaters,
some committed sexual immorality, some tempted Christ and some murmured
against God. Paul also tells us that these things should be examples
that believers should not follow. (1 Corinthians 10:6-11)
There is one particular account of Israel's travels in the wilderness
that I want to focus on. It deals with the twelve spies that were sent
to spy out the land. Numbers 13 tells us that after 40 days of spying
out the land they returned to the camp to give their report. (Numbers
13:25-26) At first, the spies report sounded exciting, "We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit." (Numbers
13:27) This was the report that came from God even before Israel's
deliverance from bondage in Egypt. (Exodus 3:8) However, ten of the
spies rejected God's report and gave a report based solely upon what
their senses understood rejecting God's Word, what He had said, "Nevertheless
the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified
and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The
Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites,
and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the
sea and along the banks of the Jordan." (Numbers 13:28-29) "...We
are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than
we. And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which
they had spied out, saying, The land through which we have gone as spies
is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw
in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants
of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own
sight, and so we were in their sight." (Numbers 13:31-33)
The results of this bad report were the cries of doubt, fear and
unbelief and the idea that being in bondage in Egypt or dying in the
wilderness was a better alternative than believing that God was able to
give them what He had promised. (Numbers 14:1-3) The sad thing
concerning this entire account is that God's will for them was life and
blessings not death and curses, (Deuteronomy 30:19-20) and in an
unfortunate way, God permitted them to have what they asked for, "And
the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with
this evil congregation who complain against Me? I have heard the
complaints which the children of Israel make against Me. Say to them,'As
I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I
will do to you..." (Numbers 14:26-28) Finally, the ten spies that
gave the bad report were the first to die, but two of the twelve spies
who believed God, Joshua and Caleb, remained alive. (Numbers 14:36-38)
Remember, the apostle Paul told us, all that Israel did in the
wilderness were examples so that believers do not repeat their mistakes,
more importantly, that believers do not live in fear, doubt and
unbelief as Israel did.
What giants do you face that seem to be so ominous in the natural that have robbed your faith
in such a way that you also give a bad report as the ten spies? I hear
church leaders all to often give a bad report that somehow God Himself
has brought a trial such as sickness, disease or some sort of trauma
into their life or the life of someone in the congregation that they
serve. There are several reasons why this happens. I believe the main
reason was spoken by the prophet Hosea, "My people are destroyed because they don't know me..." (Hosea 4:6 TLB) John's gospel reveal an important key to knowing God, "If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also..." (John 14:7) "He who has seen Me has seen the Father..." (John 14:9) "God
has in these last days spoken to us by His Son...who being the
brightness of His glory and the express image of His person..." (Hebrews 1:2-3)
Jesus is God in the flesh. Everything He did or said is an exact
representation of the Father's will, nature, character, purposes and
plan. (Hebrews 1:1-4) There is not one time revealed in the ministry of
Jesus shown in the Gospels that He ever brought a trial such as
sickness, disease or some sort of trauma into the life of anyone. As a
matter of fact He did the exact opposite, because He was doing the
Father's will, "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has
anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of
sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; To
proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." and "how God anointed
Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was
with Him." (Acts 10:38) If you look deep enough into the scriptures
you will see that God's Plan of Redemption began immediately after the
fall of man (Genesis 3:15) and His redemptive plan was progressively
revealed throughout the Old Testament until it was fulfilled through the
meritorious work of Christ's death, resurrection and glorification.
If the Father's redemption of humanity began at the fall and was
fulfilled in Christ and Christ did nothing but reveal the Father's will,
nature, character, purposes and plan, how can anyone honestly believe
that our heavenly Father would bring a trial upon one of His children
especially in the form of sickness, disease or some sort of trauma? The
fact is, trials are either brought on by the believer (James 1:13-18) or
by the devil (Job 1:6-19, 2:7) not God! God however will permit these
things happen because believers still have the freedom of choice plus
the devil looks for opportunities to get place in the believers life
although Paul warns us not to give him the opportunity (Ephesians 4:27) A
trial is a place where the believer rises up as a giant in the land,
believes and acts upon God's Word and in the name of Jesus stands
victorious filled with joy. (James 1:2).
I myself have prayed the Word of God over a situation many times and
believed for the answer only to see things grow worse. Did God do this?
Certainly not! I know that I have an adversary that tries to oppose me
and sway my faith.
(Ephesians 6:12) However, I know that faith is not confessing and
agreeing with the problem, but confessing and believing that God gave
His Word and the blood of Jesus to overcome every circumstance no matter
how large or small the circumstances may be. (Revelation 12:11)
Sometimes our prayer may not see immediate results, but it certainly
does not mean that God did not hear our prayer or that He has not sent
the answer, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if
we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that
He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we
have asked of Him." (1 John 5:14-15)
The question comes down to, where is our confidence, in ourselves, in
the problem, in others or what God said? Are we doing what Jude exhorts
us to do, "...I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend (to strive for the mastery) earnestly for the faith..." (Jude 3) You see these things come down to an individuals faith. Have
you contended earnestly for the faith, that is believed God's Word
without contradiction, without question? Honestly, sometimes what we
have asked of God comes immediately but sometimes it doesn't. When it
does not manifest immediately, you must continue thanking and praising
God for the answer even though it has not manifested. When we thank Him
we are acting in faith, believing that His Word is true and that we have
what He has promised even though we have no tangible evidence, "Abraham
not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead
(since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's
womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was
strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced
that what He had promised He was also able to perform." (Romans 4:19-22) We are acting like Abraham.
What I am revealing is true faith as
the scriptures teaches. We are to believe God's Word even when there is
not one shred of evidence in the natural. We believe because God said!
This is what makes a believer a giant in the land. This is what makes a
believer refuse sickness or disease to ravage their body, the temple of
the Holy Spirit. This is what separates Christianity from every other
religion on earth, we believe and act upon God's Word period! "And
since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, I
believed and therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak."
( 2 Corinthians 4:13) I want to encourage you that no matter how long
you have been struggling with the issues that try our faith in this life, simply go to the scriptures. For in them you will find the solution to every problem. Then do as
the apostle Paul said, "I believed and therefore I spoke, we also believe and therefore speak."
So speak to that mountain. (Mark 11:23) Call those things that are not
as though they were (Romans 4:17). Then begin to thank the Lord that He
has not only heard your prayer but has answered it even if you do not
see the evidence immediately. Let's do as Abraham. Do not consider the
natural although it is real, but "give glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform." Amen...
Monday, September 13, 2021
Believers Are Giants
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