GIANTS IN THE LAND
By Pastor Timothy Burdick
Numbers 13:26-28 (KJV) says, "Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. Then they told him, and said: 'We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.'"
Moses had sent out twelve spies to tell him what the land the Lord gave to the children of Israel looked like. All but two, however, came back with a negative report, for while the land looked prosperous, instead of trusting God they saw only the giants who lived in that land.
I wonder if we don't act much the same way when it comes to trusting God in our lives. Think about it like this: While the sun is huge, its light can be blocked out by a small object. In the same way, the light of God can be blocked out of your life if you fix your mind on the problems you face.
You say in protest, "but Pastor Tim, you don't know what I'm going through. I have an illness, a loss, and I just don't know what the future holds."
In response I say: I have always found God to be faithful, for he has truly led me. Let me tell you about the giants I face. I am a
pastor/hospital Chaplain who is blind. God has consistently told me where things are and He keeps me from hitting obstacles in my path.
I am telling you this only because God wants to lead YOU in this life, too, but you have to choose who is going to control your life.
Once I heard a wise man say, "Concentrate on what you know, and not on what you don't." While you may not know how things will turn out, if you are a believer in the Lord, you do know that, "If God is for you who can be against you." While you know that the world seems dark and dreary, you also can know that "greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world." If you don't know these two things, you can know them by inviting Christ into your life. You can come to know God. Just pray something like this from your heart:
Dear Lord, I want to know you, so I ask you to come into my life and forgive me of my sins. While I don't know what the future holds, I put my trust and confidence in you. Please be my Lord and Savior and guide me from this day forth. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Or maybe you are a believer but you have lost your focus. Pray and tell God that you need His forgiveness and that you want to trust Him completely, for He says that "He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds and hearts are focused completely upon Him." If you do one of these two things, today can truly be a turning point in your life.
Thank you for reading this
Pastor Timothy.
Visit Pastor Timothy at New Vision Ministries website www.mynvm.org
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