It’s Up to You

Manna. The provision God sent from heaven to feed the Israelites during their 40-year punishment in the wilderness. What captures my attention tonight is they wouldn’t have even known about manna if they’d believed Joshua and Caleb’s faith-filled “we are well able to possess the land” report. Instead, their unbelief and defiance prompted God to punish an entire generation by not permitting them to see the land they feared. He also forced them to wander through the wilderness for 40 years until they perished.

It wasn’t what God planned for them but they chose to believe a faithless, fear-filled, “we’re going to be defeated” report by 10 of the 12 spies Moses sent out to check out Canaan. God allowed all 12 spies to bring back a sampling of the fruit – two spies carried a cluster of grapes on a pole between them. They also brought back some pomegranates and figs.

The sad reality is 10 of the 12 spies feared even though they brought samples of the abundance God set before them to receive! They ignored that God enabled them to harvest the fruit while undetected by the giants in the land. God protected them while they were there! They hadn’t been captured, killed, or separated. They traveled through the land for 40 days yet didn’t fight one giant. The 10 spies had the nerve to say God wouldn’t give them the land.

Think about it. The 10 spies handled part of the blessing but focused on the wrong thing. They said, “Yeah, there’s milk and honey like God promised and here’s the fruit – but they’re giants and we saw ourselves as grasshoppers. So, no don’t pursue.”

Are you experiencing a sampling of the victory that lies ahead, but you still won’t take that step of faith to engage for the greater? Sure, there are giants around (bills, people, time constraints, systems, etc.), but look at what God has you carrying now. Look at how He blessed you to get to this point. Joshua and Caleb understood the task, the opposition, and the like. But they also understood that God was greater and He was on their side! They pleaded with the people to go forward, but the masses refused, forfeiting their promise.

What are you going to do? All of us reach crossroads at various times in our lives. Will you move forward with what God said you have victory over, or will you enjoy the samples, embrace fear, and refuse to budge? God’s promises are true; even if you walk away from them, someone will believe and live in all He’s promised.

¹⁷ And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:¹⁸ And see the land, what it is, and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;¹⁹ And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds;²⁰ And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes.²¹ So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.²² And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)²³ And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs.²⁴ The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.²⁵ And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.²⁶ And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land.²⁷ And they told him, and said, We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.²⁸ Nevertheless the people be strong that dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.²⁹ The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south: and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites, dwell in the mountains: and the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and by the coast of Jordan.³⁰ And 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.³¹ But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.³² And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.³³ And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Number 13:17-33 (KJV)

In the Master’s Service,
Author/Pastor Michele D Robertson

28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
Matthew 11:28-29 (KJV)