When fear knocks, answer it with faith.

We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it. Numbers 13:30

After being encamped near Mt. Sinai for two years, the people of Israel were on the verge of entering Canaan—the land God had promised them. God told them to send twelve spies to assess the land and the people living there. When the spies saw the strength of the Canaanites and the size of their cities, ten of them said, “We can’t!” Two said, “We can!”

What made the difference?

When the ten compared the giants with themselves and the giants loomed large, the two—Caleb and Joshua—compared the giants with God, and the giants were cut down to size. “The  is with us,” they said. “Do not be afraid of them” (Num. 14:9).

Unbelief never lets us get beyond the difficulties—the impregnable cities and the impossible giants. It preoccupies itself with them, brooding over them, pitting them against mere human resources.

Faith, on the other hand, though it never minimizes the dangers and difficulties of any circumstance, looks away from them to God and counts on His invisible presence and power.

What are your “giants”? A habit you cannot break? A temptation you cannot resist? A difficult marriage? A drug-abusing son or daughter? If we compare ourselves with our difficulties, we will always be overwhelmed. Faith looks away from the greatness of the undertaking to the greatness of an ever-present, all-powerful God.

Dear Lord, when the “giants” in my life begin to overwhelm me with fear, help me to trust in You.

当恐惧来袭，以信心迎战。

我们立刻上去得那地吧！我们足能得胜。-民数记13章30节

在西乃山下扎营两年后，以色列民正预备进入迦南，这是上帝所应许之地。上帝要他们差派十二个探子去窥探那地和那地的人民。当探子们看到高大强壮的迦南人以及宽大坚固的城墙后，其中的十个探子说：“我们不能上去！”然而，另外两个探子却说：“我们必能得胜！”

为何两者之间有如此大的差异呢？

因为十个探子拿自己和巨人相比，巨人当然就显得更巨大。反观另外两位探子，迦勒和约书亚，却是将巨人跟上帝作比较，巨人自然就缩小了，所以他们说：“有耶和华与我们同在，不要怕他们！” (民数记14章9节)

怀疑使我们无法突破难关，无法超越坚固的城邑和巨人。怀疑会让困难占据我们的思绪，使我们整天烦恼，只想要以人的微薄力量来应付问题。

反之，信心是将焦点转向上帝，但却不轻看危险或困难。虽看不见上帝的同在，却能倚靠祂的能力来应对问题。

你的“巨人”是什么呢？无法戒掉的习惯？无法抗拒的诱惑？婚姻触礁？儿女不慎沾染毒品？若我们将自己与所面对的困境相比，一定会不堪负荷。信心让我们不再看到困难有多大，而是看到无所不能、无所不在的上帝有多伟大。

亲爱的上帝，当生命中的“巨人”让我恐惧惊惶不安时，
求祢帮助我，能够专心信靠祢。

Numbers 13:25-14:9New International Version (NIV)

25 At the end of forty days they returned from exploring the land.26 They came back to Moses and Aaron and the whole Israelite community at Kadesh in the Desert of Paran. There they reported to them and to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.”30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

The People Rebel

14 That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt!Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”5 Then Moses and Aaron fell facedown in front of the whole Israelite assembly gathered there. 6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

整理：于姊妹