The Problem with Giants
by Chadwick Brewer
“And they came to the Valley of Eshcol and cut down from there a branch with a single cluster of grapes, and they carried it on a pole between two of them; they also brought some pomegranates and figs” (Numbers 13:23).
It had been approximately a year and a half since the Israelites left Egypt when the 12 spies set out from Kadesh-Barnea. For the vast majority of that time, they were sustained with manna. Twice, they had quail, but you could imagine how tired of manna they would be after one and a half years. They looked back with longing on the simple pleasures of leeks and onions that accompanied slavery in Egypt; they were so tired of manna!
But ahead of them, God had promised them a land full of abundance and overflowing with blessings. When the spies returned from the land, they were weighed down with proof of the bounty God had promised them. How succulent and mouth-watering those grapes, figs, and pomegranates would have been after one and a half years of manna!
But there was a problem; giants! Despite a God who had constantly and consistently demonstrated His power and covenant faithfulness, they despised God and feared the giants and fortified cities more than Him. They could taste the blessings, but they focused on the obstacles. They wished to die in the wilderness rather than take what God was willing to give to them, and they got their wish! They robbed themselves of God's blessings because of their cowardice.
How many blessings do we rob ourselves of because of the fear of giants? Though God promises to be with us and never leave us (Hebrews 13:5), how many times do we fear what might be, rather than move towards what God is offering? We fear facing past struggles. We fear past traumas. We fear future rejections and future persecutions. We fear sacrificing what we have, even if it’s far less than what is offered. We fear trusting others and allowing them into our lives, lest we be hurt. We fear becoming a servant, lest we burn out. We fear. We fear. We fear.
What if, by our fear, we refuse to take hold of the blessings of God and are left out in the wilderness? What great things are you missing out on in the Kingdom because of your fear?
