We are able. Numbers 13:26-33 Most of a child's life of faith will be spent climbing uphill while others are going downhill, going in even as others are coming out, contrary to popular opinion. Is this how it is meant to be? Are we supposed to be comfortable among those with no place for God? Are those who blaspheme the name of the Lord Jesus Christ welcome companions of those who have been "crucified with Christ" unto the world? Faith in God and popularity with those who judge life by what they see, own, or desire cannot truly coexist.
Living by faith starts with placing our trust in God first, then facing the challenges that will surely come. The flesh tends to focus on the difficulties first and then ask God to remove them. Faith moves through hardships confidently, following the Lord's guidance. Faith is both realistic and confident in God. “We are well able” is a statement of trust in God to use us as He enables. “Faith is the victory that overcomes the world!”
Unbelief waits patiently for difficulties to disappear - and if they don't, it blames God. Those who are discouraged bear a serious responsibility when they discourage others. We cannot force people to be what they are not, nor can we create faith in others. We can, and should, testify to our own faith, which often lifts others from discouragement to faith when they “turn their eyes upon Jesus; look full in His wonderful face; and the things of earth grow strangely dim; in the light of His glory and grace.”
The promised land was a land “flowing with milk and honey;” there was abundance and joy in the “good land” where pastures, cropland, orchards, and vineyards thrived. The twelve men saw the fields and farms, the cities and villages, and the different tribes of people. They carried grapes on a pole, along with pomegranates and figs as proof of the fertile land. The land was definitely all that God had promised.
However, the ten men who said, "We are not able," did not speak a single word about God. They saw the abundant land of promise, but what caught their attention were the strong, walled cities and the giants living there. They forgot God's promises and His power. In fact, they completely forgot about God. They saw themselves as grasshoppers and, in their unbelieving minds, reduced God Himself to no more than a grasshopper, just like themselves. This attitude toward God still exists today. For many people, God is just an idea or a word to use when threatening others.
To those who are the people of God and are committed to living by faith, they move forward despite difficulties. If the road before us that leads us to God's promises brings us into challenges, people who live by faith move confidently through them, following the Lord. This does not mean we are indifferent or unaware of our problems, but our trust is in the living God who has guided us this way. When someone must stand against popular opinion or the crowd and be effective, that person must understand God's purpose and recognize it. The right attitude toward God and life's problems keeps us humble, free from arrogance and pride. Being able to clearly state what we know and believe distinguishes a person of faith from a person of fear.
An evil report doesn't necessarily mean what was said was wrong. However, those men were making their own judgment about the situation without considering God's power, which was fully capable of fulfilling His purpose for them. They took God's matters into their own hands and ignored Him. The battle was lost for that generation before it even started. “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Any denial or rejection of God's counsel is an act of the worst evil. In fact, unbelief is a sin that damages the soul. Shutting God out of any aspect of life—whether in a nation, an assembly, a family, or an individual's personal life—guarantees failure, loss, and condemnation. Expressing an opinion, whether right or wrong, can have serious and lasting consequences. The opinions of ten men led to the death of an entire generation. They had no way to escape it.
On the other hand, the voice of faith and confidence brought blessings to Caleb, Joshua, and their families. Out of a whole nation of millions, only "few there be that find it" entered the land of promise. Choices made, decisions taken, and actions that follow those choices have great benefits and bring blessings to others when made in faith. To onlookers, the people of God often seem odd, and their opinions and actions are viewed as unrealistic. "That doesn't make sense." "Be real." "That isn't realistic" are comments often directed at those who live by faith. A wise person has learned to trust God despite what others say and to act on what they know is right. Caleb was influenced by the majority’s decision, so for thirty-eight more years, he had to attend funerals and wait until the reality of the report was made clear.
Even when we suffer significant losses and others’ choices impact us, we must continue to live each day by faith in God, knowing that faith pleases Him. We might not see the outcome of a matter in our lifetime. We need to stay faithful, confident that "God is able" to do whatever is His will, and through His power, "we are able."
Pomegranates, figs, and a cluster of grapes large enough to be carried by two men—surely this is the land we desire, the one God promised us to possess. Why not step forward, with faith in our God, and take action to claim what is ours? The problem is that men who cannot trust in the Lord stumble and fall, held back by their own fears.
One man stood up confidently, his voice full and clear, silencing the fears of those who hesitated. “Let us go up at once and possess it;” everyone heard his words. But Caleb’s lone voice could not stop the others, who spread such a negative report that fear took hold of the entire nation. From the very edge of the land God had promised them, they had to turn back, and they walked away from the blessings they could have received.
How sad it is to see what didn’t have to happen if we, God’s people, only believed. The promises of God are “Yea and Amen” when we act on what God has already said. He has shown us many times, and in various ways, that He is able to deliver His own. The enemies around us cannot stop what God has decreed from the throne. The saints of this day, like those in the past, have experienced deliverance from sin. When we move forward in faith and take possession of what is before us, we truly honor our Lord. God likes to be trusted; He has never yet failed and will never forsake those who are His.
Those worldly foes may seem like giants, but with those who obey Him, He is pleased. I want to be like Caleb and Joshua, not like those who only see what is bad. With God's help and grace, I want to keep my eyes on the prize, focus on it, and overlook the foes that try to intimidate us. Claim what God has prepared. There will always be giants and cities with walls, but our God is greater than all. To possess our possessions, make what God promised our own, and act with confidence, trusting in God’s sovereign will.