"We seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them." (Number 13:33)
Moses sent twelve men to spy out the land. God had promised Canaan to Israel, and now it was time to take inventory. Did the inhabitants, a people ripe for God's judgment, live in tents or fortresses? Was the soil fertile? Was it a place Israel could prosper?
The spies returned. To a man, each reported of the beauty and potential of the land. It was flowing with milk and honey, meaning cows had plenty to graze on, and bees had plenty to pollinate. It abounded with growth, their own garden of Eden.
But ten of the spies added a dire report. They saw the residents' size and strength, concluding, "we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers." They couldn't get past it. Gazing upon Canaan, these ten spies saw an insurmountable obstacle. They were convinced: we cannot win.
Joshua and Caleb were the two spies who thought God would give them the victory. To them, though the enemy was big, their God was bigger. They saw what the others couldn't.
I have been thinking of this story as it applies to my own context. When I look at the Monterey Peninsula, the place God has called me, do I see the potential of what God could do? The ten spies couldn't see a way for Israelites to occupy the homes and till the lands the Canaanites possessed. But Joshua and Caleb could.
And the same question is posed to my heart. Can I see our community filled with believers living before their God, loving His name? Do I have a vision for every home to be occupied with a Spirit-filled and guided follower of Christ? Can I imagine every church filled to overflowing with worshippers? Do I see hundreds of other churches springing up because of the rush of God's Spirit upon this patch of earth? Do I believe?
Or am I convinced we are outnumbered and outgunned? Do I think the church is so small and ineffective it will never see greater days of fruitfulness in our community? I'm sure the ten spies would've felt this way, but I want to see things like the two. Joshua and Caleb, had they lived in the church era, would've believed God for more. Yes, the enemy is strong, and the obstacles are many, but God is bigger.
I crave a faith like this. The ten are immortalized in infamy. The two, on the other hand, had a faith we'll never forget. I want such a trust in God. We might be small, but God is powerful. He is worthy of our trust.
