Grasshoppers: The result of negative thinking

For we walk by faith, not by sight – (II Corinthians 5:7).  Seeing with our human eyes and comprehending with our finite thoughts will lead us to moments of weaknesses.  The spies began to notice the people in the land and were disturbed because in their minds they were like grasshoppers in a land of giants.  There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight ….. (Numbers 13:33).  Faith does not see disadvantages.  Negative thinking prevents us from moving forward.  When the seeds of negative thinking takes root in our minds, then eventually, the weeds of doubt will choke out our faith and we will rob ourselves of the tremendous blessings of God in the land ahead.  Discouragement and doubt is the enemy’s greatest weapon.  There are moments that the cross will become heavy and we wonder if we can endure but God has promised that He has provided a way for us to do so. No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (I Corinthians 10:13)  There is an old story about a happy little boy who went out into the field wearing a baseball cap ... And in one hand he carried a baseball, and in the other his trusty bat! His face had a look of tremendous confidence ... Cocking his bat, he tossed the ball into the air, saying, “I’m the greatest batter in the world!” * Then he swung and missed. “Strike one,” he said. * He picked up the ball, examined it, and then threw it into the air again. As he swung, he repeated, “I’m the greatest batter in the world.” Once again he missed ... “Strike two,” he said. * This time, he stopped to examine his bat to make sure there wasn’t a hole in it. Then he picked up the ball, adjusted his cap, and tossed the ball into the air for the third time. He repeated again, “I’m the greatest batter in the world,” and swung with all his might, and missed for the third straight time. Now most boys might be discouraged by that, but this boy said, “Wow! I’m the greatest pitcher in the world!”  It is all a matter of perspective.      We may feel outnumbered and outsized, but remember David with a shepherd’s sling.  In the human perspective, David was a tremendous underdog.  There was no way He should have won.  David was only in his youth but He accepted a challenge of a giant who was a veteran in the ways of warfare.  We all know how that story ended. Putting our faith in God changes the equation in the circumstances and battles of life.  It is not by our power that the will of God can be accomplished.  We must see by faith.  We must live by faith.  We must walk by faith.  It is faith that gives us that victory.  It is not for us to see how God can make it happen but to know that God will make it happen.  The land where the Israelites felt so inadequate was a land that had been promised to them.  It was theirs for the taking, but their human frailties refused to comprehend this great truth:  What God promises is done.  It is theirs.  They were to simply trust His promise and trust His power in their lives.  Don’t let your human element take over in your spiritual walk, for then your weakness will prevail.  Instead of succumbing to negative thinking, immerse yourself into the positive promises of God’s word and watch God fulfill a great work in your life’s walk.

Giants: Our immense opposition

Ah the beautiful bountiful grapes await us.  As the spies scouted their land, they saw something else which brought a grave concern to 10 of the 12.  There were giants in the land.  There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight. (Numbers 13:33)  Oh how we are faced with those same giants along our journey to the promises and to the plan in which God has for us.  Sometimes we are faced with the giants of discouragement.  We were never promised in the Scriptures that the Christian life would be easy.  One of the most dangerous and distorted teachings about faith that exists in Christian circles today is that the reason we are faced with such tremendous difficulties and oppositions today is because we lack faith.  On the contrary, it is faith that sees us through those difficult circumstances and opposition.  God has a greater plan and task for you.  There are times we may struggle, but there is no need to quit.  There is a Nike commercial that I remember from some years back in which a voiceover says: "I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."  The voiceover was Michael Jordan, considered by many to be the greatest player of his era.  Even at the times when he did not succeed, he refused to give up.  Don’t get discouraged.  God did not give you the giants so you can fail, He gave you the giants so you can trust Him to win.  There is also the giant of doubt.  God has not forsaken you.  He does have a greater hope for you.  For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  (Jeremiah 29:11)  Doubt is a veil that shields us from seeing our promise. Doubt shields us from seeing God’s power.  Doubt shields us from seeing what God has done for us so that we can readily look ahead and know that He will do it again.  God’s plan is ours for the taking.  His promises are ours for the claiming.  Florence Chadwich, at the age of 34, on July 4, 1952 waded into the water off Catalina Island and began her 21 mile swim toward California. If she completed her journey, she would be the first woman ever to accomplish this feat. The water was ice cold, and the fog was so heavy, that Florence could hardly see the boats in her own party. Sharks often began to attack Florence as she swam and men armed with rifles in the boats surrounding her had to drive them off with carefully aimed shots. But the constant numbing cold of the water was her toughest problem. Fifteen hours after she began, she asked to be taken out, her muscles sluggish and unresponsive due to the frigid water.  Her mother and trainer, alongside in the boat, told her they were near land. They encouraged her not to quit. But as she looked ahead, all she could see was the dense fog.....so she gave up and asked to be taken out of the water. When they pulled her out, she was only a half mile from the California cost! Only a small fraction of her journey was incomplete....she almost did it. Later, when Florence’s body began to thaw, the shock of failure finally hit her.  To a reporter she blurted out, "Look, I’m not excusing myself. But if I could have SEEN the land, I might have made it."  Doubt will cause us to give up before we even reach our goal.  Two months after her failure, Florence Chadwick walked off the same beach into the same channel and swam the distance, setting a new speed record.  Hold onto the promises in which God has clearly given to you from His Word.  Don’t be swayed or dismayed in your service for the King for to do so will inhibit you from the bountiful blessings of grapes.  We can expect oppositions in life, but we can also trust God to be there for us and with us.  God allows oppositions so that we can give those oppositions to Him.  The only reason we struggle against oppositions is because we chose to struggle with them.  That is not what God intended.  Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. (I Peter 5:7)  The reason your burdens are more than you can bear is because you are carrying something God did not ask you to carry.  David picked up 5 smooth stones but only needed one to defeat the giant.  His secret weapon was neither a stone nor a sling, it was God.  It is that same God that will enable us to defeat the giants in life.

Grapes: The bountiful blessings of God

Recently I had the humbled privilege to preach at a rural church in western Illinois.  One of the members took me on a mini tour of the surrounding areas.  Just a few miles down the road she showed me her homestead.  Behind her home among the rolling bluffs not far from the Mississippi River were the bare branches of a vineyard.  The surrounding nature scape remained dormant due to its winter state.  I could only imagine the beauty of summer with the flowering blossoms of the young bunches budding among the lush green leaves of the thick vines that lined the hillside.  My mind wandered to the story of the 12 spies Then they came to the valley of Eshcol and from there cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes; and they carried it on a pole between two men, with some of the pomegranates and the figs.   (Numbers 13:23)  In the land that was promised to them, their eyes took in the rewards and the blessings that were waiting to be reaped.  God has a plan for each of us.  As we scout out the lands, we can see the vast potential in each land.  Our hearts soak in the wondrous blessings and our eyes perceive the majesty of His grace and mercy in the land ahead.  God’s plan for us is our goals.  We strive daily to reach for the promises that God has given to us and bask in His glorious goodness when those promises are fulfilled.  Grapes, so sweet and juicy are like the nectarine of God’s promises.  He has something for us, far greater than we could ever imagine.  The Israelites have wandered the dry dusty wilderness and now ready for the taking was a lush land flowing with milk and honey.  The staples of life to sustain a weary tribe waited just beyond the horizon.  We long to see God’s plan for our lives.  We long to see His promises fulfilled.  We long to feel His presence.  We cry for His power to sustain our journey just a little while longer until we reach that destination. I know God has a place for my family and I.  As we journey through this world and patiently wait and seek God’s will, we know that someday soon, we too shall reach our destination in finding God’s place and plan for us.  As we remain faithfully committed to the plan God has for us, may we never forget the promise God has given to us.  He has a purpose for you and by Him and through Him you can accomplish His purpose and attain His promise.  Despite the fact that it as though your journey is futile and you feel weary and tired, God is still leading you to a greater agenda.  Those missionaries who have left the comfort of their culture, the pastor who has sacrificed the luxuries of life, and the servant who has given up their treasured time will undeniably have moments of discouragement as they wait for the bountiful blessings of grapes to be given them due to their service to the King.  But deeper still the truth remains that there is an even more bountiful vineyard waiting for us all, His dear children. It is a place where our journey ends and joy eternal remains.  It is a place where pain ceases to exist and praises continues to be lifted.  It is a place where sadness is forbidden and salvation forever reigns.  Our enemies can no longer touch us for we rest primarily in the wondrous grace and mercy of our Sovereign Creator.   In the midst of your journey, with hope you can see the grapes of bountiful blessings and promises that await you.  Though the landscape seems dismally mired in its dormant lifeless state, may our hope and faith see the potential that exists in the land ahead, the promised land.

Faith Rewarded

"It is not about the money, it is about the message". That was the answer I gave to a church a few weeks ago. It was a 5 hour trip to the church and they really wanted to have me come to speak. I did not have a set fee and operate by a love offering basis. It was a small church. The smallest church I have ever been in. I told them that if they wanted me to speak, God will take care of everything else. We stayed with a family to help alleviate costs and they were more than ready for the five of us. With 4 children along with grandchildren, they were amply prepared. It was a wonderful time of fellowship. They gave me a check. I casually stuck it into my pocket. As we left, I looked at the check and saw that it helped cover the cost of food for the trip. That Sunday afternoon, we received a card. It brought us to our knees with a spirit of thanksgiving and praise. It was a $100 gas card to be used at any Shell station in the US. Suddenly, the trip cost us nothing. God did take care of it, in a way in which I did not expect. 3 days later, I went to the post office and found in my box a barely legible hand written envelope. I opened the mail and read with tears in my eyes a letter from a couple of a church I had previously preached at. God had laid upon their heart to send me monetary support. I did not ask for any support, I just simply trusted in God to provide for our needs and He did, above and beyond what we could imagine. Last night, April went to the store to pick up some things and the van started causing problems. Tomorrow, we are to go on the road again to speak at another church. The devil was out in full force planting seeds of doubt. Then, I remember the gas card, the financial support in the mail, and the fact that God has richly blessed us spiritually and financially as I have found myself preaching in 4 states in the first 7 weeks of 2012. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19). The van is fixed now and we are preparing to live for Belleview, IL to minister to the people of Belleview Community Church this Sunday. God has blessed us and will continue to bless us. The repair cost us a couple of hundred dollars but all is well since our tax refund has long since arrived and is sufficient enough to cover the cost. God took care of our needs. I do believe He allowed it to happen now when we had the means to deal with it than at an earlier time when the means were meager. His timing.....impeccable. Don't quit on God. He will take care of you and provide for your every needs. I know this because He has promised it and He has done it.