October 26
From Giants to Grasshoppers
"…we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight"
Is a grasshopper any match for a giant? If a grasshopper and a giant were going to fight against one another, my bet would be on the giant, wouldn’t yours? How can a grasshopper win with such a deficit of power? This was the cry of desperation heard from some of the men sent to spy out the land of Canaan. Sent to view the condition of the land and the people they came back with this opinion; we are like grasshoppers in our own site. The cried further to say; "we are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us". How destructive are those four little words to the heart, "we are not able". So destructive were their words that the entire nation of Israel lifted up their voices and wept that night. It crushed them and it sent them into a spiral of despair, doubt and fear all because of the negative report of another. They were dwarfed in the enormity of the enemy and the task God had given them. They were defeated before they even began.
It’s been said when we set our focus on a problem we become one! How true this was for ten of the spies sent out from Israel. We will never accomplish the will of God with our eyes off of Him! Their eyes were on the enemy rather than on God. Powerful Lesson: Where we fix our gaze beloved, will determine the strength of our heart. Everything they had seen God do went out the window the minute they took their eyes off of Him and laid eyes on the giants of the land God had already given to them. The choice of having the land had already been made by God, the One Who owned the land, the One Who held the deed to it; it was His to give, it was settled. The question was never would God give it to them, but rather would His people receive what He has already extended?
God in His wisdom spoke to Moses saying; "send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribe, everyone a leader among them". Note how choice God was in picking out the spies; "everyone a leader among them". These were no ordinary men; they were men who were considered to be leaders among their tribes, men of influence and power, men whom the people would listen to. These men, gifted with this power of influence, were chosen to go out and view God’s gift of the land and the people who were in it. They came back with a report about the land and the people, but the problem came in when they came back with a report God never told them to give; a report about themselves; "we are not able to go up…we are like grasshoppers"!
God never chose Israel based on their strengths. They were enslaved, poor and oppressed when He brought them out to bring them to this land. Israel was needy, whiney and very fearful. They were a people who did not know war for they had never gone into battle. They were untrained! Did you get that; they were untrained, unequipped yet God was sending them to battle. This is so like God! He doesn’t call the trained; He trains the called, He doesn’t call the gifted, He gifts the called, and He doesn’t call the strong, He strengthens the called! In other words, God takes a grasshopper and makes a giant!
Has God called you to a great task and you fear because you lack experience, training and strength? Then there is good news! There is no enemy that can defeat the child of God and no land that cannot be conquered when God is with them. You are a giant when you are with God in His land.
God is with me therefore my enemies are as grasshoppers.
Pearls of Grace is a book of devotions for the entire year, including a read through the Bible in a year calendar, broken down for every day. Beautifully written with encouraging words of hope and empowering words of joy and strength for every woman. Pam draws from the truth and richness of God's Word and gives real life examples in her down to earth style. A must have in your library, click here for more information.
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