When we step out by faith to embrace God’s calling, we need to focus on His promises rather than obstacles.
God’s goodness
is symbolised by a huge bunch of grapes which
the spies brought back from Canaan, the Promised Land. It was meant to be a foretaste of future blessing—to show the Israelites
that God was about to lead them to take possession of a land flowing with milk
and honey.
“When they came to the valley of Eshcol, they cut down a
branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on
a pole between them! They also brought back samples of
the pomegranates and figs. That place was called the valley of Eshcol (which means
“cluster”), because of the cluster of grapes the Israelite men cut there”
(Numbers 13:23-24).
However,
possessing the Promised Land was unlike taking a walk in the park. They needed
to apprehend by faith the following: God is good and faithful and, secondly, they are able to defeat their enemies.
God had
already miraculously delivered them from slavery in Egypt, protected them from
the armies of Pharaoh—by
causing the Red Sea to part for their safe passage—and provided manna to sustain them in the desert. Yet at
Kadesh—when they were at the threshold of entering the Promised Land—the
Israelites still found it difficult to trust in the God who is faithful (Numbers 13:25).
Despite
the exciting possibility of abundant blessings that lay ahead, the majority of
spies (10 out of 12) were intimidated by various obstacles. They felt the Canaanite cities
were too well-fortified and defended by “giants”—men of great stature, the descendants of Anak. They
saw themselves as grasshoppers and also thought
that these “giants” would treat them as if they were grasshoppers
(Numbers 13:33). What a self-image disaster!
The
Israelites preferred to listen to the negative report of the 10 spies rather
than the God-honouring testimony of Caleb and Joshua, who felt they were well
able to defeat the Canaanites.
Notice that
God had earlier promised His
people through Moses that He will lead them to a land flowing with milk and
honey after setting them free from oppression in Egypt (Exodus 3:17).
Whenever
God leads us into new avenues or possibilities, there are hurdles to be
overcome.
Firstly, we have to learn to trust God more. He has already proved His faithfulness towards us in the past. He now
wants us to trust Him for greater things. He wants to move us to the next
level. He wants us to step into our destiny. But are we ready? Like the
psalmist, do we meditate on His faithfulness towards us in the past and trust Him this time? “But then I recall
all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago” (Psalm
77:11).
Secondly, do we know who we are in Christ? We need to have a
firm grasp of our identity in God’s
eyes. We need to catch a fresh vision of God’s calling for our lives.
God’s plan for our
lives dates back to the time we’re in our mother’s womb (Jeremiah 1:5) but all
remains dormant until God gives us a revelation of who we are in Him—not just the logos but
the rhema word.
Gideon saw himself as
defeated, bereft of hope, as the Midianites invaded his homeland. Offering no
resistance to the enemy, he was threshing wheat when God spoke to him through
the angel, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour … Go in this might
of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not
sent you?” (Judges 6:12, 14).
Earlier he had thought
he was incapable of leading Israel against their enemies—coming from the
weakest clan and being the most insignificant in his family. All that changed
when God called him and gave his self-image a boost.
One can see a cup as
half-empty or half-full and, in both instances, one is right. Gideon saw
himself as “empty” when he was threshing wheat. But when God called him, his
mind was renewed. He then saw himself anew, and was filled with courage and
boldness. And, as they say, the rest is history.
Like any
God-inspired venture, taking possession of the Promised Land is not only filled
with exciting possibilities and blessings but obstacles
as well.
Do we see—with the eyes of faith—the cluster of grapes from the Valley of Eshcol,
a testimony to God’s goodness, abundance and faithfulness. Or does the foreboding picture of “giants” looming over us stop us from stepping out by
faith?
Let’s rise up to the challenge and step into our destiny. Let’s embrace the fullness of our inheritance in Christ—whatever God has in store for our lives.
Let’s rise up to the challenge and step into our destiny. Let’s embrace the fullness of our inheritance in Christ—whatever God has in store for our lives.
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