Numbers 13:30-33 –^“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses, saying, “Let us go up and occupy it, for we are well able to conquer it.” ³¹ But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against these people, because they are stronger than we are!” ³² Then they presented the Israelites with a discouraging report of the land they had investigated, saying, “The land that we passed through to investigate is a land that devours its inhabitants. All the people we saw there are of great stature. ³³ We even saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak came from the Nephilim), and we seemed like grasshoppers both to ourselves and to them.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, the thought, “What Do You Fear?” flooded my mind. 

Reading in the Book of Numbers, many things came to light.   Israel went from the joy of miracles to the annoyance of perceived lack.  The miracles didn’t keep them satisfied.  They were not unlike people today.  Many expect the life of faith to be a life of ease. 

People have a tendency to remember and even long for the world.   The thought is, “it may have been hard, but…”  

In Numbers 13, God instructed Moses to do reconnaissance of the land and the people.   He wanted to give a visual of the land to confirm His promise of a land flowing with milk and honey (fertility and abundance).  No promise is without a potential problem.   The occupants would reveal the heart of the people.  What would they see both with their eyes and their hearts? 

They saw the land as being everything God said it was.  That was the foundation for faith.  God told the truth.  If God told the truth, then we can trust Him.   The 10 saw the land, but the problem outweighed the promise.   When the visual becomes more powerful than the promise, rebellion, rejection, fear, and doubt prevail.   Fear of the giants negated their confidence.   They trusted what they saw more than what God had said and done. 

In Numbers 14:8-9, Joshua & Caleb saw the unseen.   Perception sees the present and allows fear to rule.  Faith sees the unseen.   Faith and fear are like oil and water – incompatible.

The question for us is, “What do we see?”  What we SEE shapes what we think, believe, and do.  In Numbers 13:33, the 10 said, “There we Saw Giants, the sons of giants, the descendants of giants, and we were in their sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their eyes.”   The multiple mention of giants reveals their focus.   It produced a perception rooted in fact but devoid of faith.   Their faith was in what they saw.  

Joshua & Caleb’s faith was also in what they saw.  They saw the promise and the God of the promise.   They were convinced that if the land was what God promised and remembered their deliverance from Egypt and the miracles, THEN the giants were not a problem.  

In life, it all boils down to what we SEE and the eyes we trust.  Eyes of faith or eyes of natural sight.  Perception or Promise.    Victory or defeat is in what we SEE!   What do we see?

Lord, help us to see with our eyes filled with you, not fear!

2 Corinthians 2:11 – ^“So that we may not be exploited by Satan (for we are not ignorant of his schemes).”

Today, my heart and mind are drawn to the Cross, the Kingdom, the Enemy, and the Conqueror!  The reality of what God has done causes my heart to swell with appreciation and out of that a depth of love that is inexpressible.

In thinking about the events of the Cross and the Resurrection, I feel compelled to consider what the devil tried to do and what he desires to do. The enemy of our souls seeks to pervert God’s purposes and prevent us from entering into the fullness of God.

The Evil One seeks to pervert and prevent, but God has provided us with a pathway to fullness through the Cross and the Resurrection! We are engaged in a Real War with a Real Enemy.  That could be and often is frightening to many, but remember, we are not left defenseless but have been made ‘more than conquerors’ through Jesus.  We have been authorized and empowered to pull down strongholds, set captives free, and enforce the victory of Calvary in this present world at this present time! That is Good News!

But there is also Bad News! What is the Bad News? It is that too many who profess faith in Jesus do not know who the enemy is, and some believe him to be mythical. Too many know very little about the enemy and are thereby deceived and defeated because they are ‘ignorant’ of the devil’s devices, schemes, and tactics.

Satan’s Target is the Mind: (2 Corinthians 11:3; Colossians 3:9-10; Ephesians 4:17-24; Romans 12:2). God is in the business of Renewing Minds and thereby releasing the Fullness of His Power and Glory on Earth.   Luke 17:20-22 is incredibly revelatory about the Kingdom of God.

Many have made the Kingdom of God an event or a system, but Jesus said it is“in us.” Christ “in us” is the hope of Glory. Christ, “through us,” is the release. Christ “with us” is the manifestation.  We need to guard our minds and filter what comes in. In essence, Paul said in Philippians 4:8 – “If it is not true, do not let it enter your mind. Don’t give it the time of day!”

Our minds can reach into the past through memory and can reach into the future through imagination. Our thinking affects how we feel and thereby affects our will. Proverbs 23:7 – “For as he thinks within himself, so is he.”

Doctors tell us that we are what we eat. Psychologists tell us that we are what we think. The devil knows the incredible power of the mind and has made our thought processes a major target. If Jesus becomes LORD of our Minds, He will become LORD of our Hearts, and as LORD, He will lead us into the fullness of His purposes. The Resurrection made that possible.

I encourage each one to determine that we will give Jesus our all and dare to believe that Everything He said is True and that we, too, can do what He did and manifest the Kingdom in this World.  We are the Body of Christ, and Christ is ‘in’ us. If He is ‘in’ us, then the Kingdom of God is present because we are present. Let’s not just theorize!

May your day overflow with Joy and your mind with awareness of God’s Presence!

Luke 15:12 – “The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that will belong to me.’ So he divided his assets between them.”

Luke 15:31 – “Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and everything that belongs to me is yours.”

As I read, prayed, and contemplated the Word of God today, the reality of “awareness” filled my consciousness.   Awareness?  The two brothers in Luke 15 provided the platform to tie the ends together and see a liberating and yet alarming reality.

Both were granted their share of the inheritance.  One knew what he had and wasted it. The other did not comprehend his inheritance, and it benefited him nothing. He lived in lack, sitting on a stack of money.  Not to make this about money, he failed to enjoy the benefits of the kingdom and lived as a hired hand, not an owner.  Verses 12 and 31 make it clear.  It was his, but he could not see that reality. He was waiting for a handful when he lived in a houseful.

We are often the Prodigal and waste in extravagance God’s goodness.  We become our focus.  Luke 15:12 addresses that lifestyle and mindset.  At other times, we are the elder brother and papers in the palace. God has given us great and precious promises, but they are someday promises to us, not present realities.

Luke 12:32 is germane. ” Do not be afraid, O little flock; for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.”    Luke 12:34 is the key to understanding. Our heart’s longing reveals what our treasure is.  This is not about material things but eternal things.  If we have treasure in heaven. If we focus on the kingdom, we will be enabled to enjoy the bounty of the earth, let us.

Here’s a caution that is almost an aside. Luke 13:6-9 informs us that unfruitfulness has a time limit.  Then, verses 23-24 let us know that doing religious stuff does not get us in the door to God! Our hearts’ longing defines us by what we do and how we think.  Be neither the Prodigal nor the son in the house who never possessed his possessions. We do that with Gifts of the Spirit as well as the material.

Lord, help us to embrace Your promise so we can be harvesters in Your kingdom.

Luke 8:25 – “And Jesus said to them, Where is your faith?”

As I prayed, read, and pondered the Word of God today, a question caused unrest in my spirit. I was challenged greatly.  The question will linger for days as I unpack the revelation contained therein and surrender to the challenge.

The question came from Luke 8:25 – “And Jesus said to them, Where is your faith?”  The winds of adversity were threatening them, and they did what all good disciples would do: they asked Jesus for help.  He helped them, then chided and challenged them with this question.

Is it the where of location?  Is it a question of existence?  Was it that he was saying, “I don’t see it, so where is it?”  On the other hand, could it be a question of object?  What is it in? What is the focus of your faith?  Maybe it was both!

Sometimes, we unintentionally put our faith in some future events.  When this happens, then I’ll fulfill my purpose.  When my ship comes in.  When this or that happens, then… Is that faith in God or faith in an object or event that may or may not become a reality?

Faith that releases power is the faith of the woman who touched His garment.   It is the faith of the 3 Hebrew children that says, no matter what, we won’t bow.   It is the faith of Daniel.  It is the faith of Elijah to decree rain with almost nothing visible.  It is not faith in faith, or in some event or object, but in God alone.

According to the Word of God, we have all spiritual blessings in Jesus.  He has supplied all our needs according to His riches in glory. He is God!  When we hope in something or fear something, that object or event becomes our Lord. That makes it an idol and destructive.

Ecclesiastes 11:4 speaks to this. “He who observes the wind shall not sow; and he who regards the clouds shall not reap.”  Waiting on God is good, but delaying waiting on the when of fantasy destroys hope, purpose, and credibility. Where is our faith? If it is in anything but God alone, we may reach our journey’s end waiting. How will we then answer the question about fulfillment of purpose? Where is our faith?

Lord, help us to locate and identify our faith and place it completely in You!

Luke 6:41 –  ^“Why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the beam of wood in your own?”

Exodus 16:4  – “Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out and gather the amount for each day, so that I may test them will they walk in my law or not?”  

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, God’s unfathomable mercy filled my heart and mind. His long-suffering patience, mercy, and love are off the charts. I’m grateful but awed beyond measure.

Israel watched God’s amazing miracles yet allowed their flesh and human reason to pollute their progress and prevent their attaining their purpose. God’s incredible mercy was nowhere more apparent than in the declaration found in Exodus 16:4. God told Moses that He was going to provide for them regardless of whether they kept His laws or not! That is Amazing Grace!

That Grace should make us gracious.  That Mercy should cause us to be merciful. That Patience should compel us to be patient. Sadly, it does not happen too frequently.  

In Luke 6, we have the life guides of Jesus called the Beatitudes.  We see the Law of Harvest in what we do, including judging others and criticizing. In Luke 6:41, Jesus gives a revelation we need, but too often we fail to heed. “Why do you see the splinter in your brother’s eye, and do not see the beam in your own eye?”

We criticize and judge others, failing to look in the mirror. We openly attack others as flawed, yet fail to consider that we are flawed, too. Who among us is perfect? We need mercy, and to receive mercy, we must be dispensers of mercy. How grateful we are is revealed in our treatment of others.

 All judgment and criticism should be done from a position of facing God’s mirror of our own hearts and lives. What is God’s desire? Restoration! What is our desire? Self-elevation? Verse 45 is a key. How we treat others, view others, and judge others reveals what is truly in our hearts. The overflow of the heart reveals the true condition of the heart.

Psalm 51:10-13 is my prayer.  Lord, always help us to be conscious of our own flaws and Your immeasurable grace, and make Luke 6:31 our rule of life – “Just as you want men to do to you, do to them likewise.” We are forgiven because we are flawed, so how can we not be merciful to others who are flawed?

God’s Grace and Mercy overwhelm me! I am overjoyed but awed!

May the Amazing Grace of God make us Gracious!