Sometimes the biggest obstacles in life aren’t the actual challenges we face, but the intimidation factor that comes with them. Just like a basketball team that gets psyched out before the game even begins, we can find ourselves paralyzed by fear when we see the “giants” standing between us and what God has called us to do.
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What Does the Bible Say About Facing Giants?
In Numbers 13, we find God’s people standing at the edge of the Promised Land – the very land God had promised to Abraham 430 years earlier. After witnessing incredible miracles during their exodus from Egypt, they were finally ready to claim what God had given them. But first, they decided to send twelve spies to scout out the territory.
The Good News and the Bad News
The spies returned with mixed reports. The good news? The land was everything God had promised – flowing with milk and honey, incredibly fertile, and abundant. They even brought back a cluster of grapes so large it took two men to carry it on a pole.
But then came the “but.” The land was inhabited by powerful people living in fortified cities. Even worse, there were giants in the land – descendants of Anak who were massive in stature and intimidating in presence.
Fear Overwhelms Faith
Despite having witnessed God’s miraculous power in Egypt, the Israelites were overwhelmed by fear. Ten of the twelve spies spread a bad report, saying they felt like grasshoppers compared to these giants. The people became so terrified that they wanted to stone their leaders and return to slavery in Egypt rather than face these intimidating enemies.
Only two spies, Caleb and Joshua, maintained their faith. They insisted that with God on their side, they could absolutely conquer the land. But fear had taken hold, and the people refused to listen.
What Happens When We Let Giants Intimidate Us?
The consequences of letting fear override faith were severe. Because the Israelites refused to trust God and enter the Promised Land, they wandered in the wilderness for forty years until that entire generation had died off. Only then did their children, led by Joshua, finally enter and conquer the land God had promised.
The Giants Were Still There
Here’s what’s remarkable: forty years later, when Joshua led the people into the Promised Land, nothing had changed. The giants were still there. The fortified cities remained. The powerful armies were just as strong. The only difference was that this time, the people chose to trust God rather than focus on the obstacles.
What Giants Do We Face Today?
Just like the Israelites, we all have giants that can intimidate us and keep us from moving forward in our faith journey. These giants might include:
Personal Giants
– Past failures that make us afraid to try again – Feelings of inadequacy or incompetence – Health challenges or physical limitations – Financial struggles or uncertainty – Fear of rejection or criticism
Church-Related Giants
– Small congregation size that makes us feel ineffective – Limited resources compared to larger churches – Aging membership and concerns about the future – Leadership transitions and uncertainty – Fear of sharing our faith with others
How Do We Overcome These Giants?
The key lesson from both the Israelites’ failure and their eventual success is this: when we try to fight our battles in our own strength, we’re likely to fail. But when God calls us to something and we trust Him to lead us, He proves that He is bigger than any giant we might face.
God’s Call Hasn’t Changed
In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gave what we call the Great Commission: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
This call to make disciples hasn’t changed. It’s not dependent on having perfect circumstances, unlimited resources, or the absence of challenges. God’s call remains the same regardless of the giants we perceive in our path.
God Goes Before Us
Just as God told Joshua to “be strong and courageous” because He would never leave or forsake him, God promises the same to us today. When we’re following His call and staying faithful to His direction, we can trust that He will provide what we need to overcome any obstacle.
Are We Sitting on the Shores?
Sometimes we’re not even exploring what God has called us to do because we’re too intimidated by what we think we might find. We sit on the shores of possibility, paralyzed by fear of the unknown giants that might be waiting.
The question we must ask ourselves is: What’s holding us back from being who God wants us to be? What giants are we allowing to intimidate us into inaction?
Life Application
This week, identify one “giant” in your life that has been keeping you from fully following God’s call. It might be a fear, a past failure, a limitation you perceive in yourself, or an obstacle that seems insurmountable. Instead of focusing on the size of the giant, focus on the size of your God.
Take one concrete step forward in faith, trusting that God is bigger than whatever stands in your way. Remember that God’s call to make disciples isn’t dependent on perfect circumstances – it’s dependent on faithful obedience.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What giants have I been allowing to intimidate me and keep me from following God’s call?
- How might God want to use me to make disciples, despite the limitations I perceive?
- What would it look like for me to trust God’s strength rather than rely on my own abilities this week?
- Am I sitting on the shores of what God has called me to do, or am I willing to step forward in faith?