Articles & Devotionals
Our Insecurities vs God
The people of Israel were far from perfect. They were difficult to deal with, selfish, and generally pessimistic when it came to life. From slavery in Egypt, all the way up until and beyond the time of Christ, Israel fawned over foreign gods and found every way possible to neglect God.
Few mistakes are as useless and as “boneheaded” as the poor report brought back by spies in the land of Canaan. In Numbers 13 twelve men are sent out to spy the land for enemies and to get a sense of the fruitfulness of Canaan. In fact, this land is so fertile, that the men bring back a cluster of grapes requiring two men to carry (Num. 13:23).
When the spies return, this ought to be a time for celebration! The land is good, and God has already promised this land to his people. When the report arrives, there is more dirge than dance. Yes the land was excellent for fruit, a land that “flows with milk and honey” but this was overshadowed by a much larger problem (Num. 13:27). Canaan was home to a number of adversaries, people who would be difficult to defeat in battle, as the piece of worst news, it takes center stage (Num. 13:28-29).
At this point a solitary voice tries to offer a courageous message, “let us go up and occupy it, for we are able to overcome (Num. 13:30). Caleb, one of the spies, believes that these people, among them descendants of the Nephilim (Goliath as a prime example), can be beaten because God is on the side of Israel. Caleb is supported by Joshua, another spy in the operation, but both are drowned out by the moaning of the masses.
To make a long story short, Israel does not gain entrance to the promised land. In fact, Moses must again (similar to the incident with the golden calf in Exodus 32) step in and convince God not to destroy the people he has brought this far. While God refrains from ending this fearful mob, he does sentence them to wander for another forty years before finally being allowed to enter the land he has promised them.
This story is unbelievable to read today. If I had to choose between dying in the desert, and living in the promised land, I would choose promised land every single time! Shouldn’t these people who crossed the Red Sea have trusted in God to take them all the way to Canaan? Hadn’t they seen much God’s power elsewhere?
These questions lead us to a painful truth, too often our insecurities are allowed to drown out the God of the universe. In the face of our giants, our God can seem so small in our minds. In reality, God is just as powerful as he has ever been and ever will be, our failure cannot diminish an almighty God. What our failure can do is leave us stranded in the desert. Left to hopelessly wander in search for a land we can’t find on our own.
As our world is currently crippled by fear and the difficulty of the unknown, God’s people should remain strong. We can stand in strength and joy knowing that no matter how big the other guy is, our God is much bigger. Overlooking this only drives our further away from peace and security.
As you go through this week, remember that God is in control. He is bigger and has promised us everlasting life if we follow him. Our road is not guaranteed to be easy, but we are guaranteed to win. Take this with you, and tell those who need to hear it most.
