Numbers 13:33 “There also we saw 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.” (NASB)
The Lord has been talking with me about how we, His children, see ourselves. This morning, I woke up thinking of the children of Israel scoping out the land that the Lord said He was giving to the sons of Israel.
You can read the whole account in Numbers 13, but, in a nutshell….the Lord told Moses to send a man from each tribe….each one a leader, to inspect the land that He was giving them. They went and when they came back, they said, “It is as awesome as you said, but the people who live there are strong and we saw the sons of Anak there so we can’t go in there and take it because they are huge and strong.”
All of them were afraid except for Caleb and Joshua, who said, “Let’s go take our land! Surely we will overcome it!”
The rest of the leaders continued to share that they saw themselves as grasshoppers and even said that’s what they were. They were like the little guy in the picture…..peeking out in fear. Their report threw the people into a tizzy and they turned on Moses and Aaron and said they were going to pick someone to get them out of there and go back to Egypt where they had been captives!
It breaks the Father’s heart when we don’t trust Him and take Him at His word. I’m not making fun of the men that were fearful….I have been afraid before, and I have also seen myself in ways that are not in agreement with what my Father says.
These men were not grasshoppers, but God’s men, leaders of His tribes!
You are God’s men and women! His kids! My encouragement for you is: you are His, you are valuable, you are a vessel for expressing your holy Father, you are beautiful, handsome, strong, smart, powerful, kind, generous, loving, faithful…..He lives in you as you! Who can be against you?! He has not given us a Spirit of fear! Take Him at His word, and when He tells you to do something, step out in the assurance that He would never ask you to do something if you were going to fail.
Psalm 139:13-14 For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Thy works, And my soul knows it very well. (NASB)
John 17:22-23 “And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me.”
1 John 4:17 By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.