In Numbers 13, Moses sent twelve men in to spy out the Promised Land. After forty days, ten of them came back and said, "Moses, we don't have a chance. The cities are fortified and very large and the people are huge. Compared to them we felt like we were grasshoppers." Notice their "I am"s. "I am weak. I am inferior. I am intimidated. I am afraid." What happened? Fear, intimidation, and inferiority came knocking at their door.
The other two spies, Joshua and Caleb, cam back with a different report. They said, " Moses, yes, the people are big, but we know our God is much bigger. We are well able. Let us go in and take the land at once." Their "I am"s were just the opposite. "I am strong. I am equipped. I am confident. I am more that a conqueror."
What is interesting is that the negative report from the ten spies spread like wildfire throughout the rest of the camp. Before long some two million people were intimidated and afraid. Nobody even paid attention to Joshua and Caleb's report of faith. Here's what I've learned: a negative report always spreads faster that a positive report. When people are murmuring, complaining, and talking defeat, be on guard. Make sure you don't let the wrong "I am" take root.
The People of Israel were so distressed by the negative report that they complained against Moses and Aaron, "Why did you even bring us out here?" We're going to die in the wilderness. Our children, our wives, they're going to be taken as plunder."
God answered back something very powerful and very sobering. He said in Numbers 14, "I will do fro you exactly what you have said. You said you're going to die in the wilderness, so you will die in the wilderness." God is saying the same thing to us. "I am going to do exactly what you've been saying." Don't ever say, "I am weak. I'm intimidated. I'm inferior." Friend, the wrong "I am" can keep you from your destiny.
Do you remember reading in the Scripture about a man named Sethur, a man named Gaddi, or a man named Shaphat? I'm fairly certain that you've never heard of them. You know why? They were listed among the ten spies who brought the negative report. They also never made it into the Promised Land. The fact is they were called to be history makers, just as Joshua and Caleb were. They had seeds of greatness inside them, but the wrong "I am" kept them from making their mark.
Don't let that be your destiny. You may be facing some major obstacles. My challenge is for you to be a Joshua. Be a Caleb. "I am strong. I am confident. I am equipped. I am more than a conqueror. I am well able." Make sure you have the right "I am"s coming out of your mouth.
Joshua and Caleb were the only two from that whole wilderness company to ever make it into the Promised Land. Amen!
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