This is the story from the Bible where Moses sent the twelve spies into the promised land to see it. They saw much fruit, (verse 23), milk and honey, (verse 27), walls around the city and the children of Anak, or giants. (verse 28). They were all excited about going in and possessing the land with the great fruit, milk, honey, strong walls and all that the city had; but they were afraid when the saw the giants. Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb knew tha they could take the land because God was with them and had never failed them yet. He had delivered them from Pharaoh and made a dry path across the Red Sea for them. He had given them Manna and quail and water from a rock. They knew He could take care of this also. However, ten of the twelve came back and told Moses that they would not be able to go in and take the land because of the giants. They were afraid of these giants. It says in this verse that they viewed themselves as grasshoppers in their own sight. They were already admitting defeat before they even tried.
Have you ever been faced with a situation and you feel defeated before you even begin? You might even say, "There's no use to try, because I know I'll fail." This is how these ten men felt. They were looking at the carnal, fleshly side of things and looking at how big the giants were and how strong the people were and were just giving up without trying. They would rather starve to death than to go in and boldly do what God said could be done.
They saw themselves as grasshoppers. They felt tiny, helpless, insignificant, powerless, and hopeless. They felt they would be crushed like a bug if they went in to face these strong people. This is what they were feeling and thinking.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:" (Proverbs 23:7).
If you think that you are defeated, you are already defeated. If you think that you have no hope, then you are ignoring your only hope. If you think in your heart that you will not overcome, then you will not overcome. Our battles are lost and won first in the mind.
If you think you are victorious, then you are victorious; in spite of the circumstances. If you think you strong, then you are strong; no matter how weak the enemy makes you feel. It isn't about feelings. It isn't about how you feel. It's what you know. It's what you believe. It's Who you trust!
The enemy will cause all kinds of circumstances to come your way to try to get you to back down and walk away from your promised land. He will place giants in your path to scare you away. He will convince you that you are nothing but a lowly grasshopper in a land of giants. This fear will cause you to give up on your pursuit of God's promises for your life.
"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled." (1 Samuel 17:45-51).
The whole chapter 17 of 1 Samuel tells this story, but look here at David. He was faced with a giant that even the armies were afraid of. This man defied God and all His people. He came out every day mocking and daring someone to fight him. David was a shepherd boy. He was not a trained military man. He had no armor, he had no weapons. He had some stones and a slingshot that he used to protect his sheep with. He has something else; however, that made all the difference. He came in the name of the Lord. He went boldly toward Goliath. He didn't cower down. He didn't run away. He didn't try to negotiate and make a deal with Goliath. He just put him in his place and with the strength and power of the Lord, this unarmed, non military shepherd boy, defeated this giant!
How could he have the courage to do that? He simply went in the name of the Lord in the boldness of the Lord and knew that he was not a grasshopper. He knew with God's power, he was a mighty warrior. He knew that apart from God he could do nothing, but with God, he could take care of business and bring this giant down.
We are all faced with giants in our lives. Whether it be health problems, job situations, finances, family relationships, or whatever it may be, giants will come into our lives. The question is: Will you see yourself as a grasshopper and hide in the corner until the situation is over (because until you defeat it, it will never be over), or will you be a mighty warrior and trust God to bring this giant down once and for all?
What is in your heart? Remember the verse above? Whatever you think in your heart, that's the way it will be. It's time to change our thinking. It's time to change our mind.
"...but we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Christ never thought about or accepted defeat. He never thought about giving up. So, if we are to have the mind of Christ, shouldn't we think on victory and overcoming the giants of our lives. As you think in you heart, that's the way it will be. Are you a grasshopper or a warrior?
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