The Secret To Defeating Your Giants

The story is familiar: Israel sent twelve spies into the Promised Land. Their mission was to look around, see what it looked like and determine who was already there. When they returned, ten of the men decided to lie about what they'd seen and focus on the terrible giants that they saw.

Their report was that these giants were too big and fierce to defeat ,so they'd better not even try. How could this band of rag-tag soldiers, who used to be slaves and brick makers, go up against huge enemies that made the spies feel like tiny grasshoppers?

You probably know a little about how they felt. You have the giant of fear or the giant of poor health or the giant of a broken relationship in your life right now. That giant seems so big and so daunting that you just want to hide under the bed until it disappears. High-tailing it away from the problem seems safer and better for your self-preservation. Live to fight another day.

But the Israelites' giants were actual giants. They were bigger, faster, stronger giants than anything God's people had ever seen before. They thought they were out-manned, out-gunned and completely out of their league.

Nevertheless the people be strong and dwell in the land, and the cities are walled, and very great: and moreover we saw the children of Anak there. Numbers 13:28

How do you fight an enemy that makes you feel small and worthless? This description served their evil purpose, as they were more detailed about the bad things than the good things. Who wants to go up against an enemy that towers over you, even on your best day?

Ten of the spies saw these giants and forgot about God.

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. Numbers 13:29

This part of the report was actually true. They thought that by listing all of the giants and where they lived, they would be backing up their argument. But herein lies the weakness of those giant enemies. Yes, they were large. Yes, there were many of them. But they weren't all standing at the border of the Promised Land waiting to attack. They were spread out, living in their own area of the country.

It's easier to battle the enemy when you find a weakness.

Two of the spies chose to see the land God promised them and not focus on the giants.

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. Numbers 13:30

Looking at the same land, the same giants and the same problems, Joshua and Caleb come back with a completely different report. They saw scattered enemies in a land they had already been promised by God Himself. They were 100 percent positive that they could go into the land, defeat the enemy and claim was had been given to them. There was more weight to God's promise than in some spread-out giants.

Caleb was so focused on that promise from God that he was beside himself with anticipation. They were to go possess the land, not try to win it, because it was already theirs. God had already given it to them, so all they had to do was follow Him in obedience and they would receive their inheritance. And they weren't just able to overcome it, Caleb said. They were well able - above and beyond able - because God has never once broken a promise.

You have been promised victory in your situation, too. Your giant may be formidable, but it's already been defeated. Your giant may seem larger than life, but He that is within you is greater than anyone in the world.

The Lord has directed you where to go, when to go and how to get there. Whether you focus on the giant or God is your choice.

Do you want to be one of the negative spies that were ready to turn and run? Or do you want to focus on the promises of God and let Him tell you how and when to fight?

I'd rather find the enemy's weakness and claim my victory.