GOD IS BIGGER
Numbers 13:27-33Amplified Bible (AMP)
27 They reported to Moses and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 But the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified (walled) and very large; moreover, we saw there the descendants of Anak [people of great stature and courage]. 29 [The people descended from] Amalek live in the land of the Negev (South country); the Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the [Dead] Sea and along the side of the Jordan.” 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession of it; for we will certainly conquer it.” 31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are too strong for us.” 32 So they gave the Israelites a bad report about the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we went, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
There are times in life where we are led to follow a dream or step out in faith but after a little while has passed we put the dream on the shelf or shrink back in fear. Often more times than not the shrinking back or putting the dream back on the shelf is a result of listening to the spies. Listening to the spies you might ask. The spies are the naysayers, the downers or the prophets of doom. Those who can always find the reason it won’t work, the reason the dream won’t come to pass or the reason the situation will never change. It’s interesting that it isn’t always people who are the spies, it’s sometimes our own thoughts. The thoughts that take over your mind saying you can’t do this, you don’t have this or no one will this and on and on. From this day forward I say to you don’t believe the spies! The spies of doubt, fear , unbelief and lack of confidence. When the twelve spies in the book of Numbers went to spy out the land though they admitted that the land was filled with milk and honey they also believed what their eyes and senses(these can also be spies) told them. They allowed the sight of the strength and size of the descendents of Anak to cause them to shrink back in fear and return with an evil report. With God on our side even when things or situations look bigger or stronger than we are we have what it takes to overcome them. Like David when he was faced with the task of battling Goliath we must be confident in what we have, and we have God on the inside of us. Goliath was so sure that he was going to win because he was big and cocky but he learned the hard way. He had confidence in himself but David had confidence in God(“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. I Sam 17:45). We have to get that boldness and uncompromising belief that God is who He says He is and will do what He said he will do. Just as he has told us “Cast not away your confidence for it has a great recompense of reward (Heb 10:35).
We have to get single minded about that thing and set our face like flint and keep at it until it comes to pass. Ignore the words of the spies and grab a hold of the words of the almighty God. No longer listening to what the spies have to say but being hopeful and optimistic. As many of you know the story ended with victory. The victory of Joshua and Caleb leading the Isrealites to the promised land. Yes the promise land(the dream fulfilled, that thing working out or that situation changing). You see we become what we think about most of the time and we believe what we tell ourselves. So what are you telling yourself? No matter what you have told yourself, let’s turn over a new leaf today and no longer believe the spies. Always remember GOD IS BIGGER!
Since we believe what we tell ourselves, I have included a confession for you to recite out loud in the mirror to yourself daily (and say it like you mean it):
I am a daughter/son of the most high God and I have God on the inside of me, for greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I have faith in God, I believe that God is who He says He is and will do what He said He will do. Therefore I cast not away my confidence for it has a great recompense of reward. I walk in boldness and I do not fear for God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound and well balanced mind. I lean not unto my own understanding but in all my ways I acknowledge Him and He directs my path. I am a positive thinker and a positive speaker who watches the words of my mouth and I have the mind of Christ and I hold the thoughts feelings and purposes of His heart. I am not ruled by my emotions or senses, I believe God. If God said it that settles it, for I walk by faith and not by sight.
Confession References:
I John 4:4
Mark 11:22
Hebrew 10:35
Proverbs 28:1b
2 Timothy 1:7
Proverbs 3:5-6
Psalm 141:3
1 Corinthians 2:16(Amp)
Acts 27:25
2 Corinthians 5:7