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Confronting Your Giants.
Whenever
the Lord gives us a great “territory” to take, there will always appear to be
insurmountable obstacles in the way. The problems we face may be bigger than
us. But they definitely aren’t bigger than our Lord! Financial concerns… struggles
in your family… a problem with your health or emotions… or fear of failure? Whatever
your giant may be, you can overcome it. Be bold - no matter what kind of giant
you may be facing, victory can be yours in Jesus’ name
by Ben Cerullo
Numbers chapters 13 and 14 tell a sobering
story of God’s desire to bring His people into the Promised Land.
He instructed Moses to send 12 spies to view
the land before the rest of the Israelites entered it.
After 40 days, the spies returned and brought
a mixed report:
“We went to the land
where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are
fortified and very large… There we saw the giants…and we were like grasshoppers
in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” (Numbers 13:27-28,
33).
The first 10 spies reported that God had
indeed given them a wonderful land of “milk and honey” and abundant
crops.
But they saw no way the Israelites could
actually possess such a land, for it was inhabited by strong enemies and
impregnable fortresses.
Does this sound a lot like your life today?
You’ve heard about a fantastic place of
victory and abundance that God has prepared for you, but the obstacles seem too
great… the enemies too intimidating… the cost too high.
Caleb and Joshua gave the people a much
different report, which unfortunately was disregarded by the cowardly and
unbelieving spies:
“Then Caleb quieted
the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession,
for we are well able to overcome it.’”
“But the men who had
gone up with him said, ‘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’” (Numbers 13:30-32).
God’s people were at the very brink of the
Promised Land.
They were poised to enter into their destiny.
Yet they allowed fear and disobedience to
keep them in the wilderness for 40 more years!
What Went Wrong?
How could the 10 spies get things so wrong?
They gave a “bad report” because the obstacles to their destiny seemed like “giants.”
Is that how your problems look today –
enormous and overwhelming?
The story of the 10 spies who brought back a
fearful and negative report provides a sobering warning for us today.
Instead of cowering in fear and intimidation,
we must aggressively take the battle to the enemy.
You see, whether in the physical or the
spiritual realm, passivity and accommodation never bring victory in warfare.
Jesus repeatedly
spoke of the need to be on the offensive against the enemy: “From the days
of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the
violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12).
Remember: You will never “take ground” from the enemy or reach your destiny without a fight!
Checking Your Vision
The 10 cowardly spies had a “vision” problem.
They saw the obstacles (the so-called
“giants”) as BIG and God as SMALL.
Do you see how foolish that perspective is?
It will always rob us of obeying God and pursuing the dreams He has given us.
Whenever the Lord gives us a great
“territory” to take, there will always appear to be insurmountable obstacles in
the way.
Unless we clearly see God as BIG and the
problems, in comparison, as SMALL, we will inevitably draw back and remain in
the wilderness.
Unless we see God correctly… we won’t have
faith.
Unless we have faith… we won’t be able to
obey.
Without faith and obedience… we won’t be able
to do battle and enter into the destiny God has for us (Hebrews chapters 3
and 4).
Notice that when the Israelites saw God
incorrectly, they saw themselves incorrectly as well.
The 10 fainthearted spies saw themselves and
their countrymen as mere “grasshoppers” in comparison to the enemy “giants”
in the Promised Land.
Just two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, saw
God instead.
What do you see when you look around you
today?
Lots of believers are still locked in the
“Grasshopper Syndrome,” failing to see who they are in Christ.
Sure, the problems we face may be bigger than
us. But they definitely aren’t bigger than our Lord!
What’s Holding You Back?
Friend, is there a “giant” that has
been keeping you out of your Promised Land God’s place of blessing and destiny
for your life?
As you consider your life’s purpose and
mission, is there something that is holding you back from truly entering in?
Financial concerns… struggles in your family…
a problem with your health or emotions… or fear of failure?
Whatever your giant may be, you can overcome
it in the same way David defeated Goliath.
The young shepherd boy faced a giant who was
nearly 10 feet tall probably almost twice his size.
Yet David’s eyes weren’t on the size of his enemy, but rather on the size of his God!
No wonder David could have such audacious
faith. His confidence was in the strength of the Lord, not in his own strength.
When taunted by his
massive enemy, he fearlessly replied: “The battle is the Lord’s, and He will
give you into our hands” (1 Samuel 17:45-47).
Be bold, my friend. No matter what kind of giant you may be facing, victory can be yours in Jesus’ name!
Ben
Cerullo
has been named by Charisma Magazine as one of the “30 Emerging
Voices” who will lead the church in the next decade. Traveling extensively,
both domestically and internationally to more than 27 nations, his ministry
carries a powerful anointing and prophetic message. God continues to use Ben to
reach people with the Gospel, confirming His Word with signs following.
Ben
has a rich spiritual heritage. His grandfather, Morris Cerullo, has a worldwide
ministry and continues to preach the Gospel as he has for more than 50 years.
Ben’s father, David Cerullo, is chairman and CEO of Inspiration Ministries
(which reaches more than a billion potential people daily through its worldwide
television networks, video-on-demand, online streaming, and other media
outreaches).
Ben grew up in San Diego, California with a passion for action sports. Although he sensed God’s call on his life as a young boy, during his teen years, he rebelled and ran from this call. Soon after, Ben’s drug and alcohol abuse became so serious that he was hospitalized. But this hospital experience proved to be life-changing, and sparked his return to the Lord.
https://inspiration.org/christian-articles/confronting-your-giants/
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