FADING GIANTS AND GLOWING PATHWAYS!!

Verse for Today: Saturday, January 07, 2012

Numbers 14:24 – But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.

Entering, appropriating and enjoying the promises of God are acts of faith and trust in the promise of God in spite of possible threats. It comes from our boldness to face the challenges of life by faith. It is taking God at His Word and moving forward boldly. Such faith disregards unknown obstructions in the future. If we believe in the promises of God, what happens on the way is not a problem, but an opportunity to be handled by faith. The reason for many in not entering into the spiritual rest and peace that the Lord has promised is because they do not wholeheartedly believe the Promise Giver and His power to remove the obstacles. He expects us to go forward in His name and remove the obstacles in His power and on His authority. But if we fear these roadblocks, they will subdue us and so we will have to satisfy ourselves with lesser spiritual blessings. The Israelites had to travel around in the desert for forty years because of their unbelief, but with total faith in the Lord’ promises, they could have covered the distance within a few days. Most of them could not enter the fullness of the blessed Promised Land because of their unbelief and doubt. The majority looked at the obstacles and fearfully pulled themselves back. They reasoned out the consequences of attempting to enter by faith and found enough arguments not to go forward. Facing the Anakites was totally dangerous and destructive for the majority because they didn’t see their Lord who was with them. But Caleb and Joshua believed that God was with them to defeat the Anakites and to help them enter the land which their Lord promised. The holy boldness of Caleb and Joshua ought to challenge us in our attempts to move forward and appropriate the blessed experiences waiting for us in front of our eyes.

Dear reader, are you facing formidable challenges in front of your eyes and are they causing you to retreat out of fear and anxiety? Do these obstacles control your thoughts and make you imagine out the dire and dangerous consequences of going forward? Is ‘reason’ walking before ‘faith’ in your sojourn? But you are commanded to walk not by sight but by faith and trust in the Almighty who walks with you. If you look to the future through the Lord who is with you, it would be possible to see the bright future instead of failure. The negative possibilities might be reasonable according to the world’s yardsticks, but if you step out in faith, these obstructions will give way. When the roadblocks see the Lord coming forward with you, do you think it would stand straight and face the Lord? No, it would not show the tenacity to stick to its position, but will flee away. It took only one small stone to smite one Goliath. One step was sufficient to make the Read Sea to retreat. One word was adequate to stop the wind, waves and the storm in the sea. One word or a touch was all that it took to raise the dead, give sight to the blind and make the lame walk. When the Lord Jesus came near the demon-possessed people, the demons fled away. When we walk forward with the Lord, mountains and seas will withdraw from our pathways, walls will crumble, Satan will flee, germs will depart, storms will stop, boats will travel several times its normal speed, deserts will flood with drinking water, powerful empires and rulers will disappear and prison gates will open wide. When our Lord travels with us, we can face any obstacles and move forward to enjoy greater spiritual blessings that are promised. Let us today put all our faith in Him and enjoy His greater blessings in spite of all hindrances.

Numbers 14:9 – Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.

Thought for Today