The Israelites, after their long sojourn in the wilderness, had become doubtful and discouraged even though they were now on the verge of the Promised Land.
God had brought them this far, yet they were demotivated and
nervous about their fate, so God tells Moses to send 12 leaders, one from each
tribe, to explore this land of abundance He had promised to give them. In doing
so, they could see for themselves that the promise was real.
Upon their return, they gave this report,
“We went to the land to which
you sent us and, oh! It does flow with milk and honey! Just look at this fruit!
The only thing is that the people who live there are fierce, their cities are
huge and well-fortified.” –
Numbers 13:27-28 (MSG)
The evidence of the Promise was sure but there were
challenges to overcome and obstacles to surmount.
Ten of the twelve scouts saw this opposition as invincible
and concluded that it was not worth fighting for, while two of the twelve,
Caleb and Joshua, saw the promise in all its rich abundance.
However, it was the disheartening part of the report that
the people chose to accept and it made them question the validity of God’s
promise.
How many of you are on the verge of your Promised Land but
all you can see are the challenges before you?
God’s people always have, and always will, encounter
obstacles on their way to receiving what He has promised; you are no exception.
Now pay attention to what Joshua and Caleb said,
“The land we walked through
and scouted out is a very good land—very good indeed. If God is pleased with
us, He will lead us into that land, a land that flows, as they say, with milk
and honey. And He’ll give it to us. Just don’t rebel against God! And don’t be
afraid of those people. Why, we’ll have them for lunch! They have no protection
and God is on our side. Don’t be afraid of them!” – Numbers 14:7-9 (MSG)
Be the two and not the ten!
The majority of people can always find a reason not to
believe and will go to extremes to convince you not to believe but if God has
given you a promise, the opinion of the crowd doesn’t matter. All that matters
is what God has told you.
Beloved, even if you stand alone, stand alone, because the
truth is, you are not in this alone – God is with you. He is on your side. Not
believing God is rebelling against God, so, only believe.
Those who see the obstacle as insurmountable or focus on
their own ability, will be defeated and God offers them no protection.
You must put your faith and trust in the One who is able to
do anything, far more than you could ever imagine, the One for whom nothing is
too difficult to accomplish (see Ephesians 3:20 and Jeremiah 32:27) and believe
that what He says will happen, will happen.
Amen †
Shelley Johnson “You Are Not in this Alone“ © 2017 revisited
July 16, 2025
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