OVERCOMING THE GRASSHOPPERS’ ATTITUDE

 

1st reading Numbers 13:26- 33

2nd reading Joshua14:6-15

This passage centers on a man called Caleb. Caleb was a part of Israel when they left Egypt. He was there when God divided the waters of the Red Sea. Free from bondage and free from Pharaoh. God had a land flowing with milk and honey prepared for them. It would be a land of giants and a land of battles, but it was theirs if they wanted it. Now, as you know - Israel chose to wander in the wilderness. God saves us, and promises us that we can have a life of victory and intense spiritual joy, but rather than claim what is rightfully ours - things like peace, joy, fellowship, power, and the glory of God, we choose to live in a spiritual wilderness, defeated and depressed. Welcome as we explore through to discover what we should do with our “GRASSHOPPERS’ ATTITUDE”

 

1. CALEB'S COMMITMENT Josh. 14:8, 9, 14

Now the first key to Caleb success was that God had all of Caleb that there was! Note the repeated phrase "Wholly followed the Lord." This is said about Caleb 6 times in the Old Testament. Every inch, every ounce, every nerve, every fiber of Caleb belonged to God. Anything less will keep you from reaching your Canaan land victory.

2. CALEB'S CONFIDENCE. Josh. 14:12

What was it that gave 85 year old Caleb the idea that he could be a giant killer? Caleb's confidence (faith) was in God's word. Vs 10 & 12. Caleb had seen the Promised Land and for 45 years that vision had burned in his heart as he wandered through the wilderness! While others complained, Caleb looked for a mountain where milk and honey flowed and where the grapes of Eschol grew. He was able to see beyond his circumstances into the promises of the Lord. We need some people who have been cut from that same cloth!

Faith is more than saying that you believe; it is acting on what you believe.     Heb. 11:1

 It takes faith to win the spiritual victory. In fact, faith in God alone can give us the victory we seek- Heb. 11:6; Rom. 14:23!                                                  Faith is never a blind leap, but a deep settled conviction that God will do what He has promised!

3. CALEB'S COURAGE

Commitment led to confidence - confidence to courage. However, Caleb had to scale 2 great obstacles in his quest for his Canaan.

a)    He Had To Overcome Grasshoppers - Num. 13:33

b)   He Had To Overcome Giants - Num. 14:8-9                                                                

All of us have giants in our lives. Giants of discouragement, finances, sickness, family, distress, doubt and the truth is - we can't defeat them ourselves.                                                 

We have 2 options.

1.    We can say look how small we are compared to those giants. This is the outlook of fear! (2 Tim. 1:7)

OR

2.    Or look how small those giants are compared to God! This is the up-look of faith! 

Phil. 4:13; Eph. 3:20; Matt. 28:18) Fighting giants is good for you!                                                                   

When we are facing life's giants and are in danger of falling, the Heavenly Father comes alongside of us to help us carry on for His glory.

 

4.  Joshua 14:13-14 CALEB'S CONQUEST

a)   Caleb experienced what God had promised!

b)   He climbed the mountains and he defeated the giants - he claimed his possession.

The name of the place Caleb inherited was named Hebron. This means "Fellowship". Caleb refused to quit until he had obtained everything the Lord has for him! He refused to stop until he had obtained that place of fellowship with God.

Folks, that ought to be our battle cry this evening! We ought to refuse to give up, back up, or shut up or be held up, until we have stood up, lined up, read up, prayed up, confessed up, stored up, spoke up, looked up, and filled up on everything the Lord wants to give His children! We ought to settle for nothing less than that place of perfect fellowship with the Lord our God!

c)    What about you, have you entered your Canaan and claimed your possession?

It isn't God's will for you to wander around in the wilderness of defeat forever. It is His will that you walk in victory and in His power-1 Cor. 15:57; 2 Cor. 2:14.

There will be trials? Well, God had: a flood for Noah, a fire for the 3 Hebrews, a lion's den for Daniel, a cake for the widow and a cross for Jesus, but there was victory in the midst of each trial for these and there will be victory for you as well!