We are visiting churches right now...trying to find the right one for us. We have been going to Buffalo Ridge for a little while now and so far we have really enjoyed it. Pastor Jody Jenkins is awesome. Every sermon convicts my heart in some way. This morning he preached on Caleb...a man with a different spirit and YES we need more Caleb's in our world today.
I saw something this morning that I haven't seen before though. In Joshua 14:8 Caleb says "Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God"
Whenever I hear a story about God's chosen people I like to put myself in the Israelites shoes. It is so easy for us to look back and condemn...but what would you do?? I mean 12 men were sent out to spy the land....all twelve came back with truth. The land was good. It is flowing with milk and honey, and by the way... look at these grapes!! But...10 men said there are giants. Mighty warriors. We cannot over come them. That was what 10 of them said. I can just here myself questioning God right now. "God....is this really your timing? Surely you don't mean to put my family in harms way?? Why did you send these twelve men out for only two to come back with a good report?" The longer I thought about it, I came to the conclusion...I would have been one of the Israelites stranded in the wilderness until it was my time to go. I probably would have doubted God. I hope I wouldn't... but that would have been hard and it would have taken a lot of faith. However, Joshua and Caleb, didn't doubt God. They knew what God had promised and even though the giants no doubt made them tremble with fear, they TRUSTED God!!! I was also thinking about the twelve men. They all came back with truth, but the Bible said 10 of them made the people's heart melt. I looked up the meaning of the word melt and it means - 'to melt, cause to dissolve, cause to vanish, to intimidate'. This land was flowing with milk and honey, this land was theirs given to them by none other than God Almighty, but all they could see were the giants. These 10 men came back and spoke the truth, and they caused the people to be intimidated and to forget about God's truth. I am like that all the time. All I can see are the giants....my fears. They back me into a corner and cause me to forget about God's promises. God doesn't promise life without Giants, but he does promise victory over the giants when you rely on Him and wholly follow God...just like Caleb did. That is how the devil works too. When the devil attacks you and plays his mind games...there is always some truth he weaves in with the lies. Maybe it is even all true and he just leaves out the part that says..."hey, there is someone out there bigger than me" We know that someone out there bigger than the devil. He is God!! My God, and He lives in my heart. So, yes, there may be giants, but don't let Satan melt your heart. God can help you overcome.
I saw something this morning that I haven't seen before though. In Joshua 14:8 Caleb says "Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God"
Whenever I hear a story about God's chosen people I like to put myself in the Israelites shoes. It is so easy for us to look back and condemn...but what would you do?? I mean 12 men were sent out to spy the land....all twelve came back with truth. The land was good. It is flowing with milk and honey, and by the way... look at these grapes!! But...10 men said there are giants. Mighty warriors. We cannot over come them. That was what 10 of them said. I can just here myself questioning God right now. "God....is this really your timing? Surely you don't mean to put my family in harms way?? Why did you send these twelve men out for only two to come back with a good report?" The longer I thought about it, I came to the conclusion...I would have been one of the Israelites stranded in the wilderness until it was my time to go. I probably would have doubted God. I hope I wouldn't... but that would have been hard and it would have taken a lot of faith. However, Joshua and Caleb, didn't doubt God. They knew what God had promised and even though the giants no doubt made them tremble with fear, they TRUSTED God!!! I was also thinking about the twelve men. They all came back with truth, but the Bible said 10 of them made the people's heart melt. I looked up the meaning of the word melt and it means - 'to melt, cause to dissolve, cause to vanish, to intimidate'. This land was flowing with milk and honey, this land was theirs given to them by none other than God Almighty, but all they could see were the giants. These 10 men came back and spoke the truth, and they caused the people to be intimidated and to forget about God's truth. I am like that all the time. All I can see are the giants....my fears. They back me into a corner and cause me to forget about God's promises. God doesn't promise life without Giants, but he does promise victory over the giants when you rely on Him and wholly follow God...just like Caleb did. That is how the devil works too. When the devil attacks you and plays his mind games...there is always some truth he weaves in with the lies. Maybe it is even all true and he just leaves out the part that says..."hey, there is someone out there bigger than me" We know that someone out there bigger than the devil. He is God!! My God, and He lives in my heart. So, yes, there may be giants, but don't let Satan melt your heart. God can help you overcome.
Mornings like this morning remind me why it is so good for us to go to church, even if we don't know if this is where we will end up. God has something for me, if I am willing to go and to open my heart to Him.
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