Go Take it!
There were 10 of them….
Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, and Geuel.
Moses had sent 12 men (1 from each tribe) to go gather some intelligence about the land God was giving them to take. They came back with the report: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large….We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
The TLDR version is “Oh, yeah! The land is AWESOME!!! But, we’ll NEVER be able to take it ”
Bummer, huh?
Well, that was the majority report from the 10 of them.
There was another report from the two other guys who also went to spy the land: Joshua & Caleb.
They had a very different account: “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”
Sadly, because the people believed the 10 cowards, they, along with the rest of Israel never got to see the Promised Land. They wandered around for a generation until everyone of that crew was dead and forgotten. All gone except for those two brave heroes Joshua & Caleb.
There’s a reason you only recognize the last two names. The other ten men had no vision, and they certainly had no faith in the promises or the power of God. They were all sight, and no vision.
God had great plans for His people. A great reward in store for them, but they focused on their giants instead of their God. Their lack of faith kept them from all the good things God wanted for them.
Were there obstacles? Sure.
Would it be an easy fight? No way.
Was it scary? I have no doubt.
But, Joshua and Caleb saw something greater. They looked right past the fear, the fight and the obstacles. They looked beyond all of that and, with courageous faith and vision, they were ready to take hold of the Promised Land. God later said of Caleb “my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly I will bring him into the land…” What a commendation from the Creator!
Listen, I know none of that applies to your life right now. I know you are fully trusting in God. You are acting fearlessly and faithfully doing everything God wants you to do. This article was really just a waste of your time. But, you know, clip it out. Just in case you need it. Or give it to someone who does.
You get back out there and take Canaan