We live in a decision hour. We must make DECISIVE DECISIONS! There are many things we do not know that we need to know about the Kingdom of God. In Sunday school, I learned “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so;” but I did not know anything about the Bible. In Hosea 4:6, God said, “My people perish for lack of revelation knowledge of Me.”
Prior to age 38, I was woefully ignorant of God’s Word. Then I was born-again, and it was a miracle every day! That is true, but it is not good if it leads you into a place where you think you don’t have any work to do. Numbers 13 and 14 contain numerous life lessons to help you face challenges.
When God gives a vision blessing, we are required to give a good report. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
Question: How are we to respond when God speaks to us? In Numbers 13:2, God said to Moses, “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, everyone a leader among them.”
Answer: In obedience! Verse 3 says, “So Moses sent them from the Wilderness of Paran according to the command of the LORD, all of them men who were heads of the children of Israel.”
We need proper direction from God. In verses 17- 30, God gives them specific directions and sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, “Go up this way into the South, and go up to the mountains and see what the land is like: whether the people who dwell in it are strong or weak, few or many; 19 whether the land they dwell in is good or bad; whether the cities they inhabit are like camps or strongholds; 20 whether the land is rich or poor; and whether there are forests there or not. Be of good courage. And bring some of the fruit of the land.” God had originally told them that it was a good land (Deut. 1:17).
For 40 days, they spied out the land (v.25). So far, they had obeyed and went into the land and brought back fresh fruit. But they came back full of fear and reported, “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large, moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there.” (V. 27, 28)
WHAT WE SEE WILL AFFECT WHAT WE DO! The “bad report” by the 10 spies brought God down in stature and their faithless report cost them 40 more years in the wilderness. (That is not a good return on your investment.)
In V. 30, Caleb interrupts the naysayers: “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.’” The people had started to complain shortly after crossing the Red Sea. Caleb remembered all the miracles and deliverances they had experienced by the hand of God and that He had told them
that He was giving them the land. They should have realized what a DECISIVE TIME it was and that God knew their heart.
Are we voicing and believing DECISIVE PRAYERS? We have to believe in the priority of prayer. First priority: The Word is preached. Second priority: Prayer based on the Word.
DECISIVE PRAYERS will change your world. The giants are real, but Jesus is the giant killer! We have a legacy to pass on to our children. It matters how close you get to Jesus. The soil is the heart. The Lord looks on the heart. A wise believer dedicates himself to personal and spiritual growth. Putting your every word of faith into action!
I believed I would have spent the rest of my life as a news reporter — until, that is, I was 38 and born-again. I answered the call. Nothing else is worth it. You know your call. Walk in it. How we interpret the call of the Lord will determine what we do. We need the right mindset. We need to have a consciousness of our responsibility. There is nothing bigger than our God!
Pastor Jerry
Jerry's Jams & Notions 