The Choice of Fear Or Faith

And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.

Numbers 13:33 (ESV)

Isn't it amazing what fear, even in contrast to the facts can make us do? The ten spies who saw the promised condition of a bountiful land were blinded by fear. They decided to slant the facts in a way to discourage Moses and the nation of Israel from claiming their ordained Promised Land. 

How often has fear gripped you in the course of your wilderness season? Have you arrived at the cusp of exiting the darkness, yet lingering fear of the unknown influenced you to slant the reality of where you are in the movement toward change? 

The choice is yours. This is so important because while we’ve shared obscurity is not a punishment but a gift in waiting, you should also understand God is not forcing you into this season. Moses did not have to sit at the burning bush, David did not have to swing that sling, and Paul did not have to go to see Ananias. 

In the prompting, there is a call to action which is or is not followed by obedience. God will not punish you, but He sure will not impart His gift within you. The dicey thing about choices is that even if you decide not to choose, it is still indeed a choice. One question to ask yourself in determining if you’re being driven by fear or faith is, “Are you a grasshopper or giant killer?”

The Israelites exiting Egypt experienced doubt in the veracity of God’s calling. Although there was an iron-clad assurance of a better life in an environment created by God himself, the Israelites stumbled in their obedience and faith walk. While they were in the midst of obscurity, they often pined for the days of old. Yes, those very same days of misery and death at the hands of vicious taskmasters. 

Does that seem familiar—when we find ourselves off-center of where we think we should be? We have that tendency to romanticize the good old days, no matter if they were good or just old. Once we move our needle the slightest bit past what we were once used to, our discomfort level hits red zone alert status. It is a natural inclination to resist change in the unknown zone. Now is the time to decide if you’ll serve fear or walk by faith. Are you ready to slay some giants?

CALL TO ACTION

Are you a grasshopper or a giant killer?