Life is constantly bringing challenges and an occasional crisis situation that may sometimes appear insurmountable, especially in these days. And, for those who have made the choice to wholeheartedly follow God, there will be the additional challenges of new territory to conquer as He forces us to stretch beyond the nice cocoon we've made for ourselves!
Maybe it's difficult circumstances, the responsibilities of parenting, beginning a new job, or maybe even going back to school that prompt your particular feelings of inadequacy; but it's during times such as these that fear can wash over us like a tidal wave. The words "You're not good enough" or "You'll never make it" or "You can't do it" can sweep through our spirits as quickly and destructively as a tornado, crumbling our self confidence into a pile of rubble in a matter of minutes. Before we know it, we're drowning in the But I Can't Do It Sea. I guess that's where the problem lies - SELF confidence. As long as we look to ourselves for victory, we'll always be feeling as though we're a dollar short and a day late. Failing to fix our eyes on God and trust Him for the victory will produce fear and insecurity every time, and the challenges around us will begin to look like giants towering over us.
There's a familiar group of men in Numbers 13  who know exactly what I'm talking about. Moses' exploration team of twelve men, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, were sent to scout out the land of Canaan to see whether the people living in the land were strong or weak, few or many; and whether the land was good or bad, fat or lean. They returned from their mission after forty days, and ten of them delivered the following word: "We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country - a land flowing with milk and honey . . . but the people living there are powerful . . ." Numbers 13:27-28 ". . . the land we explored will swallow up any who go to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there . . .we felt like grasshoppers next to them, and that's what we looked like to them!" Numbers 13:32-33 Only two, Joshua and Caleb, returned with confident enthusiasm and a vision for possessing the land.
Naturally, the people held to the mentality that the majority rules and chose to believe the report of the ten naysayers over that of the two visionaries, but Joshua and Caleb were not to be silenced! They answered the fear of the people with a message of courage and trust in Almighty God: "If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord, neither fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us . . . the Lord is with us. Fear them not!" Numbers 14:8-9
Surely this word of faith provoked a ground swell of confidence in the God Who had delivered them safely from 400 years of Egyptian captivity, miraculously parted the Red Sea, provided them all with water to drink and food to eat, a pillar of cloud by day to shade them, and a pillar of fire by night to warm them! Surely! No. Unfortunately, no. The Israelites continued to receive and believe the evil report. You know, the one that used words like "but" and "not able" - the one that saw the enemy as giants and themselves as grasshoppers - the one that looked at the inadequacies within and didn't figure God into the equation. God asked Moses the question, "How long will it be before they believe and trust Me?" Numbers 14:11
Peter trusted God when he stepped out of his boat and started walking on the water toward Jesus. He was doing fine until he looked around at the high waves, and then he was terrified and began to sink. Matthew 14:30 When Peter took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the circumstances that surrounded him, that's when the waves began to look like giants, and he began to feel like a grasshopper. Peter cried out for help; and, after taking Peter by the hand, Jesus asked him the question, "Why did you doubt?" v. 31
Why do we doubt, indeed!?! How long will it be before we believe and trust? God has proven Himself again and again, and we still use words like "but" and "not able," and our eyes continue to see huge giants and overwhelming waves. When will we fix our eyes on Him, realizing that it's not about the perceived strengths of our giants or weaknesses of ourselves, but it's about HIM and who HE is and what HE can do!?! God told us through Zechariah, the prophet, "it's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord." Zechariah 4:6 As long as we put our trust in our human ability, there will always be those struggles with inadequacy and fear. But when we realize that it's by HIS power and HIS strength that we can do all things, those challenges begin to take on a different light. Matthew 19:26 says, "all things are possible with God!" Not just some, not just a few, but ALL things! Now, a God Who can do all things can certainly empower you and me to conquer new territory and face any difficult situation before us.
Let these words from Habakkuk 3:19 comfort and endue you with power: "The Lord God is my strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds' feet and will make me to walk (not to stand still in terror, but to walk) and make spiritual progress upon my high places of trouble and suffering!"
Fix your eyes on Him - your Strength, your Personal Bravery, your Invincible Army!
Prayer for Today
Father, forgive me when I succumb to feelings of fear because of dependence on myself, my abilities, and my skills. In those times, remind me of Your awesome power and glory! There IS none like YOU! Thank You for the assurance that You are right there WITH me, empowering and providing for me every step of the way! |
Streamline 
