Bring a Good Report
“They told him, and said, “We came to the land where you sent us. Surely it flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. Moreover, we saw the children of Anak there. Amalek dwells in the land of the South. The Hittite, the Jebusite, and the Amorite dwell in the hill country. The Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along the side of the Jordan.” Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it!” But the men who went up with him said, “We aren’t able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.” They brought up an evil report of the land which they had spied out to the children of Israel, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that eats up its inhabitants; and all the people who we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim. We were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.”” (Numbers 13:27-33 WEB)
The twelve men Moses sent out to spy the land were princes of each respective tribe of Israel.
Ten spies brought back an evil report of the land, whereas only Joshua and Caleb gave a good report.
These princes who were leaders of the tribes can represent spiritual leaders like pastors who are entrusted with God’s flocks.
Pastors should not be preaching fear as if the enemy is so much stronger than us.
“Be careful, or the devil will get you. The devil is very crafty and the whole world is under his sway.”
When a pastor keeps talking about the devil, is he really preaching the Gospel which produces faith, or preaching the bad news of the devil which produces fear?
Spiritual leaders ought not to mislead their congregations this way.
While the ten spies saw large and fortified cities built by giants as a scary obstacle, Joshua and Caleb were excited, seeing those cities as their soon-to-be possessions to house the children of Israel.
The ten spies were focusing on how large and imposing the giants were, but Joshua and Caleb were only conscious of how mighty Yahweh is, and they believed that He would give them the victory.
“Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who spied out the land, tore their clothes. They spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceeding good land. If Yahweh delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey. Only don’t rebel against Yahweh, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us. Their defense is removed from over them, and Yahweh is with us. Don’t fear them.” But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. Yahweh’s glory appeared in the Tent of Meeting to all the children of Israel. Yahweh said to Moses, “How long will this people despise me? and how long will they not believe in me, for all the signs which I have worked among them?” (Numbers 14:6-11 WEB)
Joshua and Caleb were free from fear because they believed that Yahweh was on their side.
When there is an imposing challenge in your path that has the potential for huge gains, see the Lord generously giving the victory to you. If it is truly an exceedingly good land, and the Lord brought you to that point, He will also supply you with the grace to overcome all difficulties.
While the ten princes saw themselves as grasshoppers in the giants’ sight, Joshua and Caleb saw the giants as bread to be easily devoured! Two drastically different beliefs because the ten princes did not have faith in Yahweh, whereas Joshua and Caleb believed in Him.
In the end, the glory of the Lord appeared and He rebuked the people for their bad opinion of Him and the unbelief in their hearts.
Even though He had worked mighty signs and wonders in Egypt, the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, the children of Israel were so hard-hearted that they forgot all the amazing things that the Lord had done for them.
If you have been entrusted with leadership over God’s people, make sure you are preaching the Gospel (good news) to them, painting a vision of a good God who loves His people and who is mighty to save in any situation. Christians don’t need any more negativity or fear—they already get that from the world in their daily lives.
When you encounter a new challenge, focus on the bigness of your God, not on the strength of your enemies. No matter what shape, size, or form they come in, God is still more powerful than all of them combined, and He will give you the victory when you trust in Him.
A new faith declaration: “The size or power of my enemy is irrelevant because my God is so much greater than any enemy. My God is with me and I am victorious through Him who loves me!”
Keep studying God’s word and growing in your understanding of His ways. Our Patreon community is currently on a Bible study series called “My Faith Declarations” which looks at the Spirit-inspired utterances of the authors of the Psalms. They wrote about the trials and tribulations they experienced, so the book of Psalms is very relatable.
By turning their faith declarations into our own, we can learn how to overcome similar circumstances in life through faith in the Lord! Become a “God Every Morning” tier or above patron on Patreon to receive this reward, daily devotionals by email, and also all my eBooks. Thanks for being a blessing to this ministry: http://Patreon.com/miltongohblog
