What would
cause someone to go against the tide of social influence? What would make them stand up against a vast
amount of their peers and refuse to go along with what they believe? Peer pressure is a powerful force and few can
stand against it!
However,
there were two men in the Bible who did just that . . .
Caleb
and Joshua were chosen, along with ten other men, to explore the Promised Land
and give a report to Moses and the people.
When they returned ten of the spies were against conquering the
land. This is what they said, “The land
we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the
people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there. Next to them we
felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!” (Numbers 13:32-33 NLT)
Caleb and Joshua disagreed! They wanted to go immediately and take the
land.
“But all the people began to cry and weep. Then the whole community began weeping aloud,
and they cried all night. Their
voices rose in a great chorus of protest against Moses and Aaron.”(Numbers 14:1-2 NLV)
By this
time, you would think Caleb and Joshua would have given in to this incredible
amount of pressure but they didn’t. Listen to what they said,
“It is a rich land flowing with milk and
honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people
of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord
is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!” (Number 14:7-9 NLV)
When everyone else was trembling in
fear, Caleb and Joshua were ready to march ahead. Who does that?
Why would they believe when everyone else did not?
They knew who God was! They had witnessed His
constant faithfulness to them, time and time again and they believed! They saw the Promised Land through a
different lens. They knew the God who created the Universe, who hung the stars in space
and formed the land would stand with them, would go before them and they had
nothing to fear!
They all had witnessed God’s
faithfulness to them; when He provided manna, brought water from a rock and saved them
from the Egyptians! What caused Caleb
and Joshua to believe and the Israelites to doubt?
To the other Israelites, Caleb and Joshua had an outlandish faith!
It was completely illogical. But
this wild and crazy faith was rooted in an amazing, outlandish God who had
proven Himself over and over to them.
What kind of faith do you have? How big is your God? Do you trust Him when things seem impossible,
when you can’t see what He is doing?
The only way to develop this kind of
faith is to KNOW your God.
I encourage you to get into His Word
and discover who He is. He will not
disappoint!
“This is what the Lord says: “Don’t
let the wise boast in their wisdom, or the powerful boast in their
power, or the rich boast in their riches. But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone:
that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates
unfailing love . . .” (Jeremiah
9:23-24 NLV)
