In chapter 13 of the book of Numbers the Lord commanded Moses to send some men to explore the land of Canaan which he had promised to give them. So they gathered a group of men, including Joshua and Caleb, to go and come back with a report about what they find. Long story short, with the exception of Joshua and Caleb, the men report that the land is full of giants whom they say are stronger than they are and they recommend not taking the land. Caleb disagrees and emphatically states that they should take possession of it because he believes they can do it.

This story speaks volumes to our everyday lives. When God gives you a promise it is up to you to take possession of what he is calling you to. He doesn't intend for us to sit back and wait for him to hand it to us. We must rise up, exercise our faith, and grab hold of that thing that he is calling us to. But we have to remember that when we do, there will be obstacles that seem insurmountable and appear to contradict what God is promising us. If we are not careful we can make the same mistake as these men did in this story. They made 3 basic mistakes that prevented them from receiving God's promise.

God told them in verse one that he is giving them this land. They chose to believe what their circumstances said rather than what God said. When you face impossibilities it is critical that you believe what God says to you above everything else at all times. Write it down. Read it several times a day. Pray it. Speak it. Shout it if you have to. Make it the driving force of everything you do.

In verse 33 they tell Moses that they seemed like grasshoppers in the eyes of their Enemies. They chose to believe how their enemies saw them rather than how God saw them. When you face obstacles they always appear bigger than they really are. The key is to always view them in perspective to how big God really is. If you take your eyes off him everything will seem larger than they really are. Keep your attention focused on God and you will not fail.

These men made two fatal assumptions about their enemies. In verse 33 they state that their enemies saw them as grasshoppers. And in verse 31 they state that they are stronger. How did they know this? The fact is they didn't. They just assumed these things to be true. They chose to believe what their enemies said about them rather than what God told them about themselves. When you face giants you can't afford to listen to them for one second. The only voice we must listen to is God's voice. His is the only one that speaks truth. Giants tell giant lies so don't listen to them because they will make endless threats against you that they can't deliver on.

If God has spoken some promises to you I want to encourage you to go after them with everything you have. Don't let fear cause you to shrink back. Remind yourself what God promised you, keep your eyes focused on him, and don't listen to the other voices that are mocking your God by telling you things that aren't true. Be like Caleb and go for it!