Conqueror

“But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

After forty days, upon return, the team of twelve spies that was sent to explore the Promised Land had two different opinions. Team one, the terrified ten, reported that the people were stronger than them and would devour anyone who goes there. That they were giants called Anakites, who made them feel like grasshoppers.  The terrified ten treated the Lord with contempt (disrespect) by ignoring His Word and not believing the promises He had made to them from the very beginning.

But team two, the “trusting two” Caleb and Joshua interrupted them as they reported and said “Let’s go at once to take the land”. We can certainly conquer it”.  But still, the terrified ten disagreed and said “We can’t go against them. They are stronger that we are. ”Well, do you see that team one was so close yet so far!  As a result of their faithlessness, God’s judgement on them was that they would not enter the Promised Land! Their destiny was decided right there and then, the wilderness! 

The reason for this mission was to discover the natural resources of the land, the people, and to bring back samples of the crops.  This happened to be during the season of harvesting the first ripe grapes.  The terrified ten spies made the Almighty God’s majesty mundane and too familiar. It is possible for us to react in this manner as well.  This is when we might doubt God.  He has given us so many great promises in His Word but it is possible to agree with what everyone else sees when we are not tuned in with God. Instead of seeing the answer by faith, we see the insurmountable problem! We magnify the problem and minimize the promise. Can you identify with this?

Deuteronomy 31:6 says “So be strong and courageous! Do not fear nor panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you. ”Fear paralyzed the terrified ten. Faith forged ahead “the trusting two”. Don’t stop before God says so. As we travel to our coming promised land, let’s keep going forward in faith and not miss God’s best!  Let’s finish what we start, God decides when we start and stop.

The spies brought back a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two to carry it on a pole between them, also samples of pomegranates and figs.  This was their report to Moses: “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country, a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces.” Numbers 13:27 

Pray your response to the Lord personally, meaningfully and genuinely!

Reflect:  Obedience determines destiny! Allow God to decide your start and finish.