SO A MAN THINKETH. . .

Note: Just a little long but I pray it will be useful and that it blesses you in your walk, everyday living, and how you feel about yourself.

No matter if we are a soldier or a civilian, the prospect of battle is a scary thing, and that is how it should be. The unknown is always a little apprehensive. We are to have confidence in our leader and mission. There is a difference between guarded and being afraid. The second we become afraid, is when we can die (both physically and spiritually).

Remember when, under God’s direction, Moses sent out 12 scouts to explore the land of Canaan. They spent 40 days scouting the land and they finally came back with their report. Ten of the 12 returned and reported that, “. . .and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight [Numbers 13:33 KJV] .”

As were the scouts. . .so are we.

. . .For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh [Matthew 12:34b].

Two of the 12 scouts, Joshua and Caleb, were the only ones who gave a good report while the rest forgot that God promised them the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey [Exodus 3:8 KJV]. They all spoke what was in their heart, whether it was positive or negative.

Did not God deliver them from Egypt? Did He not provide food, water, and protection? Even after all the Lord had done for them, they still complained. They began thinking about how small they were instead of how big their God was. They began thinking of what they didn’t have instead of what they did have. They compounded all that by saying, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die [Exodus 14:10-12 NIV]?”

It would appear that they did not learn anything from their deliverance, for the people rebelled against God [Numbers 14:2, 3].

How many times have we given into the enemy and acquiesced to his lies about what we can and cannot do, with just such a report? I know I have. We say things like, “Lord, I can’t do this, because I’m not [smart enough, strong enough, good enough, pretty or handsome enough, agile enough, organized enough, or spiritual enough], or we say, “The opposition is too strong and there are too many against me. I am as a grasshopper in my Eyes and theirs as well,” and on and on and on ad nauseam.

What we think and say about ourselves can be self-destructive or character building. We can speak blessing or we can speak cursing. Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof [Proverbs 18:21]. God hears our words, but so does the enemy. What we speak, we project onto others as in Numbers 13:33. Our projected weakness gives a foothold to the enemy in our lives. If we don’t like ourselves through self-deprecation and I can’t do attitude, how do we expect others to like us?

We can learn many things from the 13th chapter of Numbers, namely verses 25-33. In our daily lives, we should not be like the 10, but we should subscribe to Joshua and Caleb’s mentality and faith.

Again, God had promised the land of Canaan to the Israelites, a land flowing with milk and honey. The 10 did not believe the Lord and said upon their return scouting trip that they were as grasshoppers in their own sight. Listen to Caleb as he addresses the people,

“Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it [Numbers 13:30 NLT]!”

All the promises of God are yea and amen [2 Corinthians 1:20]. They are money in the bank. (Cliché? Yes! True? Yes!)

The process of speaking up and standing is just that, a process. The closing point of Ephesians 6:13 is “. . .and having done all, to stand.” Admittedly, it is difficult at best sometimes to be rejected, hammered, belittled, berated, and feelings of inadequacy, and NOT be self-deprecating and dejected. I’ve been there. Nevertheless, for our own sanity and health we have to stand in the faith and believe the promises of God. God does not make any junk. Now that is not scriptural, but you get my point.

So, are we a Joshua and Caleb, or are we one of the 10? Do we believe in God’s promises or not? We as a body have lost sight of our identity and our destiny. We have lost sight of who we are “In Christ” and who “Christ is in us.”

The Genesis judgment still plagues the body. We have lost sight of our perception of the significance we hold with God. The reason for this is because our inherited sin nature caused a misconception of how we perceive God to feel about us, and we filter that conception through the guilt and shame of our disobedience. Just remember,

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
For the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken [Proverbs 3:5, 6, 26 KJV].

More edifying Scripture: Ephesians 6:10; Philippians 4:13; Romans 8:37; Psalm 3:3; Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Psalms 73:26; Galatians 3:29; Psalms 119:133; Psalms 30:5b; Proverbs 15:13; Proverbs 17:22; Psalms 30:1; Psalms 3:3; Psalms 147:6; 1 John 4:4; Psalms 27:14; Psalms 31:24; Psalms 39:7; Psalms 44:5; Psalms 71:14; Romans 8:25, 35, 36-39; Luke 10:19, and thousands of more.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness [2 Peter 1:2, 3 NIV].