It’s probably one of the more familiar Old Testament stories from the history of the people of Israel. They stand on the border of the land promised to them by God. It’s filled with other nations, but God has promised to give it to them, and now it’s time to move ahead on that promise.
God instructs Moses to send one leader from each of the 12 tribes of Israel in to explore the land. Moses gave them instructions to see what the land was like and size up the condition of the opposition: are the people weak or strong, few or many? They are to take note of the kinds of towns they live in and whether or not their cities are fortified. They’re to bring back a report on the quality of the soil: is it fertile or poor; are there trees or not? And they are to try and bring back some of the fruit they find there. With instructions given and received, the men set off into the land of Canaan.
When they return, carrying a huge cluster of luscious grapes found in the land, and give their report, this is what they say:
“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is the fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw the descendants of Anak there. 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.”
In other words: The land is great BUT, what ARE you thinking, Lord??? It will be an impossible task and we’re not up to it!
The lone dissenter was Caleb. “Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’”
His confidence was met by the nay sayers with this: “ ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are’. And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they explored.” And they won them over as we will see in chapter 14 of Numbers!
When was the last time you felt you had clear direction from the Lord, giving you confidence to move ahead – UNTIL you began to see the obstacles and fear set in? Well, you’re not alone! Remember Peter who asked to step out on the water that easily held Jesus? He was full of confidence until he took his eyes off Jesus and began to notice those waves!
I’ve certainly been there! More often than I like to remember, during those years as a teaching leader for Bible Study Fellowship International, I was literally quaking in fear at the responsibility I had for teaching God’s Word – always when I focused on MY inadequacy and not God’s sufficiency. I can’t tell you how many times I, with knees knocking, cried out to the Lord, “I’m lost! If you don’t help me, I can’t do this!”
The Israelites have given in to fear. The obstacles loomed so large that they forgot all that the Lord had done for them up to this point. Out the window went God’s promises, and power and faithfulness He possessed to back them up and give the Israelites victory and success.
Asaph, the author of Psalm 77, had doubts of his own. He says:
“I cried out to God for help. . . When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. . . . I thought about my former days, the years of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night. Will the Lord reject forever? Will He never show His favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever?. . .Has He forgotten to be merciful? Has He in anger withheld His compassion?”
Ever been there? Ever think that the Lord has rejected you because He seems so silent? Ever wonder whether He’ll ever show His favor again, or if He has somehow forgotten to be merciful and compassionate? Ever wonder whether God’s unfailing love for you alone has been withdrawn?
What do we do when doubts assail us? When the confidence we had in the guidance of God meets unforeseen obstacles on the way that loom larger than He does? What do we do when we wonder whether we heard correctly? Or whether God sent us only to abandon us there?
What do we do when God seems silent and distant and our circumstances scream so loud we would have trouble even hearing His voice if He spoke?
We do what Caleb does and what the psalmist does. We REMEMBER God’s past deeds and REHEARSE who God is and what He has promised.
Caleb, along with Joshua, the only other dissenter, is going to go on in faith, urging the Israelites not to be afraid to move into the land because the Lord would be with them. Asaph stops in his tracks, saying:
“I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago (These miracles include leading the Israelites across the Red Sea and into the land because he mentions that incident in v. 16-19). I will meditate on all your works, and consider all your mighty deeds.”
Instead of continuing on the path of doubt and discouragement, Asaph decides to focus instead on God’s greatness, evidenced in the mighty deeds He did in Israel’s past. But remembering God’s past deeds isn’t all he does.
In verses 13 and following, he says:
“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples. With your mighty arm you redeemed your people. . . .You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”
He not only remembers what the Lord has DONE, He remembers who the Lord IS. He’s holy, great, powerful, mighty, redeemer and Shepherd.
In the footnote of my Life Application Bible it says this about Asaph’s prayer: “As we pray to God, HE shifts our focus from ourselves (and our circumstances) to Him.”
Years ago a friend was dealing with a very difficult issue with her son that could have led to his arrest for drug possession. It was a long ordeal. I asked her one day how she was doing and she said: “Good, under the circumstances.”
As I thought about it I realized that she was doing well because she was refusing to LIVE “UNDER the circumstances”! Instead, she was choosing to focus on God, and He was enabling her to live ABOVE the circumstances.
There is a phrase that describes something David did during his difficult years of running from Saul that Asaph and my friend both learned to do as well and it applies here: they all encouraged THEMSELVES in the Lord.
Got doubts? Well, you're not the only one! I have my own moments of doubt and so did the Israelites, and David, and Asaph, and my friend - but we don’t have to STAY there. We can continue to live under them, or we can encourage ourselves in the Lord.
How?
#1 By remembering all the wonderful deeds of God – from His Word – and from His activity in our own lives.
What are some of the miraculous milestones from God’s dealings with Israel that blow you away? Write them down and thank the Lord for them.
What are some of the miraculous milestones from God’s dealings with YOU that blow you away? Write them down and thank God for them.
#2 By remembering Who God is. Psalm 145 is a great psalm for praising God for who He is. Start going through the psalm verse by verse, noticing all the things David says about God and then think of the ways that aspect of God’s character and Name have impacted your life.
Ask questions like: What does it mean for my life that God is THE KING? Or that He is powerful, and abundantly good? Or that He is slow to anger?
There is food for thought and prayer in nearly every line of that psalm. If we truly give ourselves to worshiping God for all the ways we see Him described there, our hearts will be lifted ABOVE the circumstances which cause us discouragement, or fear, of lack of faith. And that is what living by faith is all about!
Psalm 145:13-14 “The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.” That’s YOU and that’s ME.
Let’s not live “under” our circumstances, but “above” them, by focusing on the greatness of our God. AS we pray, God will do what we can’t – He’ll take our eyes off our doubts and fill us with praise for Himself.
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