It was a difference in perspective that caused the ten spies to return to Moses with an evil report that melted the hearts of the people, while Joshua
and Caleb declared in faith, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (Numbers 13:30 NKJV).
The ten spies saw themselves as grasshoppers to be trampled under the enemy’s feet. Joshua and Caleb saw themselves well able to do what God had promised
they could do. Notice that all the spies saw the same giants, but two of them viewed those giants from a very different perspective than the other
ten.
Perspective is everything in the Kingdom of God. Recently I saw this principle hold true in the case of a friend who was going to be interviewed by a primetime
investigative television broadcast. As I prayed about this interview, the Lord prompted me to tell him, “Be strong and very courageous, and no one
will be able to stand against you.”
When I told my friend what the Lord said, he immediately answered, “Oh, I’m not afraid.” But up to that point, no one had mentioned fear—except him!
The Lord wanted to empower my friend with the same supernatural strength and courage that enabled Joshua to defeat 31 nations. Although this man might
disagree, I believe his response revealed that fear, not faith, governed his heart. As Jesus said, “…For whatever is in your heart determines what
you say” (Matthew 12:34).
But we have nothing to fear when God is on our side! Gideon learned this truth after he finally accepted the assignment God had given him. The Lord told
him to sneak over to the Midianites’ camp and listen to what they were saying.
“Gideon crept up just as a man was telling his companion about a dream.
The man said, ‘I had this dream, and in my dream a loaf of barley bread came tumbling down into the Midianite camp. It hit a tent, turned it over,
and knocked it flat!’ His companion answered, ‘Your dream can mean only one thing—God has given Gideon son of Joash, the Israelite, victory over
Midian and all its allies!'” (Judges 7:13,14 NLT).
If only God’s people could do what Gideon did—sneak into their enemies’ camp and listen to what they say about the power of our God! For instance,
consider the time the city of Jericho heard that the Red Sea had opened as a walkway for God’s people but had destroyed all those who were pursuing
them. The people of Jericho said: “We heard it and our hearts sank. We all had the wind knocked out of us. And all because of you, you and God, your
God, God of the heavens above and God of the earth below” (Joshua 2:12 Message).
When will God’s people realize that the kingdom of darkness trembles at the thought of what their God can do?
