Do you really trust God for everything? Grow your faith

The Bible clearly says that you will have trials and that God allows them to test your faith.

There are times when life is hard and it seems that nothing is going right and times when everything goes your way.

God wants you to trust Him in the bad times as well as the good.

Each time my husband has suddenly found himself without work, I have had to remind myself that God is our provider. And even though Tim has sometimes had long periods of unemployment, we have never lacked anything.

When my children have been seriously ill, or when we have been misunderstood and shunned, when it has seemed as though there isn't a way forward, God has always been there and many times He has made a way where there seemed to be no way.

I've learnt not to look at the cirumstances, but instead, to look at God and who He is, and keep my attention focused on His goodness and mercy and loving kindness.

God's promises are true. God is faithful. Our job is to believe Him. Only believe and not doubt, whatever the circumstances may say.

So if you're flagging today, and if your faith needs a boost, try putting these faith filled words on your lips and reminding yourself of the truth of God's word.

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God"
You can build your faith by reading and speaking God's word. The Bible tells you that you will be transformed by renewing your mind.

You renew your mind with the word of God

If you're feeling deflated or defeated, it could be because you've been listening to the lies of the enemy.

"You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free"
If you want to grow in faith, let God's word tell you who you are and what you have, and don't give any attention to anything that tells you differently. God's word is true.

I strongly encourage you to acknowledge, agree with, recognise, and speak, the word of God.

Choose to see yourself as God sees you and speak out these truths even when you don't yet see the reality in your life. As you put faith filled words on your lips you will find that what you already have in the spiritual realm becomes a pyhysical reality.

When God called Gideon a mighty warrior there was no evidence to suggest that it was true. God saw and spoke what Gideon would eventually become.

Discover what God says about you and agree with God's opinion of you. Believe what God says about who you are in Christ and you will become what you are in Him. By faith, believe the truth and act on what you believe.

You will build your faith as you remind yourself of who you are in Christ

Biblical Confessions To Build Your Faith

Apart from Jesus, I can do nothing; but in Jesus I can do all things. I choose to see myself as He sees me according to His living Word. My life is hid with Christ in God. I will say the same things that God says in His Word. How can two walk together if they don't agree?

I choose to trust God. His Word will be the final authority in my life. I base my entire life upon God and His living Word. Because I meditate upon His Word day and night and carefully do all that is written in it, I will prosper.

I'm not just an ordinary person; I'm a child of the living God. I'm not just a person; I'm an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. I'm not just a sinner; I'm a new creation in Jesus. I'm part of a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. I'm one of God's chosen people.

Jesus has declared me not guilty. I refuse to be discouraged. God is the God of all encouragement. There is no condemnation for me because I'm in Christ Jesus.

Satan is the father of lies. I won't listen to his accusations. I am cleansed by Jesus' blood. No weapon formed against me will succeed. I will disprove every tongue that rises against me in judgment.

My mind is being renewed by the word of God. I will pull down strongholds and cast down imaginations. I will bring every thought captive to the will of Christ.

I am accepted by God. If God is for me, who can be against me? Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world. Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ. As the Father loves Jesus, so Jesus loves me. I have the righteousness of God through Christ. I am not a slave of sin, I'm a slave of God and a slave of righteousness.

I will continue in God's word. I know the truth and the truth has set me free. I am free indeed because Jesus has set me free. I have been delivered out of the kingdom of darkness. I'm now part of the kingdom of God.

I will submit to God. When I resist the devil, he has to flee. No temptation will overcome me which is not common to man. God is faithful. He will not let me be tempted beyond my strength. With any temptation He will also provide me with a way of escape, so that I can endure.

Jesus always causes me to triumph. I'll reign as a king in life through Christ Jesus. The Word of God lives in me. I am more than a conqueror through Christ who loves me. I am an overcomer. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. God gives me the victory through Jesus Christ my Lord.

I am a success to the glory of God. All His blessings will come upon me and overtake me because I obey the voice of the Lord, my God. I am confident that those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing.

I will not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Speak God's word daily. Believe it. Allow the living and active Word of God to build your faith, renew your mind and transform your life.

For more Scriptures to build your faith download Biblical confessions to build your faith

Click this link for more on

Who you are in Christ

Your faith will grow as you continue to agree with God and put His word on your lips. The word of God is living and active, be assured that God's word will accomplish that for which God sent it.

And just so you know that I face real issues every day and that I walk through these things myself. My eldest daughter is in hospital having surgery today. She's expected to be in theatre for around 3 hours. My husband finishes his job in two weeks time and doesn't yet have another one, and there are other things happening that I'm not free to talk about here.

God never did promise us a smooth ride, but He does promise that He will always be with us and that we are never alone. Jesus Himself intercedes for us. Now there's a thought...

Be blessed

Lynne

Authority In The Name Of Jesus

As a believer and follower of Jesus you have power in His name.

Authority in the Name of Jesus

"Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them?" James 2:19

We have it on good authoity that every knee will bow at the name of Jesus. Everything is subject to Jesus' powerful name. His name is powerful! His name is greater than disability, greater than cancer, greater than divorce, greater than depression, greater than anything you can name. When we stand clothed in Jesus' righteousness and use the authority that we have been given He sees to it that the words we utter do not return to us empty.

The Power of the Word of God

"The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God can be used to break every stronghold. The Word of God is living and active and it is powerful. When combined with faith it is lethal to the enemy.

I encourage you to read Epesians 6 and put on the full armor of God every single day so that you are prepared ahead of time to face the battles and withstand the enemy.

• Seek the Kingdom first
• Remember that you are seated in heavenly places
• Take hold of the your authority you have been given
• Submit yourself to God
• Resist the devil
• Cover yourself with the blood of Jesus
• Renew your mind with the word of God
• Declare the promises of His Word and
• Face each day prepared.

The battle is the Lord's and it is already won. I encourage you to speak out the victory you have in Jesus. Refuse to be defeated. Rise up and be who you are in Christ.

If you follow the links you'll find Scriptures to remind you who you are in Christ and to help to build your faith

A Word Of Encouragement - Have Confidence In God

"Do Not Fear! Lean Back on My All-Sufficient Power"

"Confidence is an internal state that is made up of perceiving the risk, experiencing he fear, and overcoming the fear in order to take action."

I trust you are all persevering in the faith. While some of you may be sailing smoothly, many are in a season of warfare contending for a breakthrough. It is with that in mind that I wanted to send you a little word of encouragement. I have been reminded of late that it is Christ in us who fights the battle. Wigglesworth and Dr. Charles Price are both quoted as having said something close to this: "When my faith comes to an end, His is just beginning!" It is impossible to have intimacy with Christ without encounters with the powers of darkness.

While we have no desire to pay undue attention to the enemy, C. S. Lewis reminds us of the two extremes that the enemy seeks to purport on the children of God, being that we either pay too much attention to him or pay no attention at all. There are some seasons where I never even give a thought to spiritual warfare, and there are other seasons I am reminded by virtue of the tests, adversities and strange occurrences that I experience and endure while there is a war going on--this is one of those seasons.

For what it is worth, during these kinds of seasons you have to remember Paul's admonition:

"Having done all STAND."

When that kind of season is one you are enduring, you have to remember to get plenty of rest, and make sure you are adequately nourished, and stay in a place of internal quietness and confidence according to Isaiah 30:15,

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength."

You also have to remember:

"Do not throw away your CONFIDENCE which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have DONE the will of God you may receive what was promised" (Hebrews 10:35-36).

The rest of this chapter is all about possessing your soul by faith in seasons of endurance through adversity:

"FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE,HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH;AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:37-39).

Overcoming Fear with Courage

Here is a thought: ever wonder what was going on in the lives of the apostles when they were called to write what they were writing? We see men of strength, the giants of the faith, incredible exploits of power, yet what was going on in them during those incredible seasons? Don't be fooled by the world's idea of how success and courage manifest. Courage requires an ingredient we talk little about: FEAR.

Paul says to the Corinthian Church that at a certain season in his life, he was with them "in weakness, and in FEAR, and in much trembling." He also speaks in another place of "fightings without, AND fears within." This is the same apostle who tells us that "God has not given us a spirit of fear!" Is he contradicting himself? Never! He is talking about how he learns to master fear and turn it into courage!

Courage is a form of CONSTRUCTIVE COPING! Courage travels with CONFIDENCE. Confidence comes from the Latin "con fideo," which means "with faith." We are most vulnerable to the enemy when we are lacking confidence (lacking the "with faith" factor). Courage travels with confidence because courage requires a number of components: fear, risk, purpose and ACTION (when you have DONE the will of God...Hebrews 10:36).

It would seem that the writer to the Hebrews is telling us that confidence (which requires courage, and we are commanded to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS) is an internal state that is made up of perceiving the risk, experiencing the fear, and overcoming the fear in order to take action. When you throw away your confidence - think in self-ebilitating ways; when you hold fast your confidence and your confession - think in self-nhancing ways that strengthen your experience in Christ.

Just remember that in Christ - faith begins where yours ends. And He is the HOPE of GLORY within you. That means that the higher your level of hope in the acting out of courage, the lower your fear goes. Hope shows you that your success is on the pathway of faith.

God will give you what you need. In Christ's faith you already possess all the necessary resources, skills, abilities, the will (for it is Him doing His Father's will through you), and the pathway to overcoming (He is THE WAY or the pathway), and you have what it takes to overcome any setbacks you may be facing.

When the enemy comes, there is a standard in you that God raises up. See yourself succeeding and discover that as Kingdom success is your goal (which is basically being faithful to The Father), you will regulate your actions in the face of opposition from the enemy while he is threatening to undermine your existence.

Your perseverance will be for the possessing and the restoring of your soul!

A Prophetic Word of Encouragement

Here is a fresh prophetic word that the Lord gave me for you:

"For in this season of turmoil, do not fear! Lean back on My Power, My All-sufficient Power. For I am not unaware of your troubles or the assails of the enemy. I have seen his foolishness in thinking he can persuade you to give in. This is only a season for the perfecting of My faith in YOU. I have conquered what you are facing already. I AM WITH YOU, I AM IN YOU. I WAR FOR YOU, I WAR THROUGH YOU. Let My faith be released against your enemy. He fears Me and therefore He fears you.

This will be a decisive season in your maturity for My Kingdom, and I will prevail through you. I will protect you in your going out and your coming in. Your tears will be tears of release and tears of joy, I will also restore your soul. Goodness and Mercy are following you, remind yourself of these things. This temporary affliction will pass in spite of the lies of the prince of darkness. Let your heart be strong and take courage, soon there is a new level of enlargement coming your way.

For every clash between the Kingdom of Light and the kingdom of darkness, I will release My Spiritual Titans in this season! The wars of the Lord will be fought against the gates of hell and the Warriors of the Lord will prevail. And for every fight there will be a new kind of split decision! Not a split decision as to whether the enemy won or My people won, rather the enemies of My people will be split on whether I defeated them or My People defeated them. For these will be days when the enemy will not be able to distinguish between Me and My people for there is a new level of the manifestation of unity between Heaven and earth. Hell is in confusion for the saints are rising in this day of warfare!

While there are tempests and trials, there is a deep underlying assurance I have given to My people in this hour. The people of God are on the brink of a great surge of the release of My power and My irresistible PEACE!For My Peace will crush the enemy under your feet in the days of battle.

And know that there are hidden factors lying in the secret places of the hearts of My people that will come into play in these days. Even as John the Baptist was in hiding in the wilderness before the days of his public appearing, there are hidden factors in My people that have been hidden for a season and for a time that will now be made manifest for the purpose of Kingdom advancement.

Rejoice My People, for these are days when things long-waited for will begin to emerge from the deep places in your hearts. The secrets of your hearts are being revealed. War with Me for sweet victory lies just ahead!"

Much love,

Mark J. Chironna Mark Chironna Ministries
Email: markchironna@markchironna.com
as posted on www.elijahlist.com

Cup of Hope - Amazing Faith

Cup of Hope - Amazing Faith
By Hope Wilbanks

On Monday night, April 9th, around 11 pm, I was awakened by the sound of someone yelling and crying and beating on the door. Alarmed, I woke up Robert then ran to the door to find my little sister Faith standing there in her pajamas crying, “The house is on fire!”

My stomach sank to my toes.

“Where are the kids?” I asked Faith.

“They’re in the car,” she replied. “James in still in the house!” I ran back inside and told Robert to hurry, that Faith’s house was on fire.

Faith’s four-year-old son, Dylan got out of the car and came towards where we stood in the driveway. His entire body shook as he tried to tell me that his house was on fire. I ran inside and grabbed a blanket to wrap around him, then brought him and Faith’s baby, Katie into the house.

I went back outside to where Faith stood sobbing in the driveway. We watched as the billowing smoke erupted into flames.

I wrapped my arms around Faith and did the only thing I knew to do—pray. As I prayed, so did Faith.

“Thank You Jesus, because I know You know what’s best,” she prayed. There Faith stood, no shoes on her feet, only pajamas on, watching her house go up in flames, and thanking God.

A little bit later Faith wanted to go make sure James was okay, so we got in her car and I drove us across the road to her house. Two fire trucks, an ambulance and countless cars lined the small road. We located James and the EMT checked all four family members vitals to ensure that none of them had suffered from smoke inhalation.

Standing in the drive, watching the firemen put out the last bit of flames, I heard Faith say to someone, “The devil is so stupid. He has tried every way possible to get to me. You’d think he’d have learned his lesson by now that I will NEVER turn my back on God.”

I felt an awesome power of God that night. I watched my little sister lose absolutely everything she had in that fire, yet her faith in God held her steady and strong through it all. She never once wavered, or asked God ‘why?’ She simply stood. It was almost as if I could see invisible roots, wrapped around the foot of the Cross, that held Faith up that night.

I desire faith like that. I want my faith to be so rooted and grounded in Christ that nothing on this earth can ever shake my foundation or faith in God. I want to be so close to God that I trust in His will, whatever that may be.

It’s so easy to get mad at God when things don’t go our way. It’s easy to throw up our hands and walk away when the going gets rough. But God promises us in His word that He will never leave us, nor forsake us. So no matter what trials we face, or what problems we have to work through, we have the assurance that God is right there beside us, carrying us, holding our hand through it all.

Cup of Hope is an uplifting devotional e-zine, devoted to today's Christian women and men. Cup of Hope brings encouragement to you through inspirational articles and ideas. A fresh edition of Cup of Hope is published monthly. Visit us online at http://www.cupofhopemag.com

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Have Faith - Anything Is Possible With God

Our God is God of the impossible. He's calling us to keep our eyes upon Jesus and do that which He has called us to do. Get out of the boat and learn to walk on water. Anything is possible to those who believe.

JESUS IS CALLING US TO
DO THE IMPOSSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORM
by
Francis Frangipane
"The real Jesus will require you to look the impossible straight in the eye and believe God for His power."

Not only is Jesus our Savior, He is also the "Author and Perfecter of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Grab with both hands the thought that He is the "Perfecter of our faith." The faith Christ started in you, He is now working to perfect.

The fact that Jesus is the "Perfecter of our faith" is important because even if we seek to move in prayer and spiritual authority, even if we fearlessly continue to persevere, even if we continue forward with motives purified by love, it is the power of faith that undergirds all.

Now the idea that Christ seeks to perfect our faith makes a fine doctrine, but in the practical outworking of our lives, we deeply resist the idea. For we know that faith, in order be perfected, must be tested.

When I speak of faith, I do not mean a thorough compilation of Bible facts or an intellectual assent to our need of salvation, both of which are elements of spirituality, but not the very substance. To amass Biblical knowledge primarily takes time; to possess true saving faith, I will tell you again, takes courage. Christ desires we obtain a trust in Him that can actually withstand and overcome the terrible storms of life--faith that brings the reality of Heaven to earth.

Faith, therefore, is more than head knowledge; it is our lock upon the goodness and power of God so that no matter what we face outwardly, inwardly we stand secure. And no matter what the world looks like outwardly, it has the potential to be transformed by our faith. As Hebrews 11 makes clear, all those who possessed true faith changed the world around them.

Perfect or Protect?

Knowing that faith is much more than religious doctrines, I wonder: Do we truly know the Jesus of the Bible and what He seeks to give us? Too often, I think, we desire a Savior who, after assuring us of eternal life, leaves us alone until our next crisis. We want Him to comfort us but never convict us; we desire Him to heal us but not inhabit us. We want the Holy Spirit to help us obtain the "American dream." Yet what we have is a Holy Spirit who, instead, seeks to give us the dream of God: man living in the image of Christ (see Genesis 1:26).

This means that God's goal is not merely to save us, but to conform us to Christ. He seeks to perfect us, not merely protect us. To perfect faith, God intentionally allows conflicts to storm against our souls. I know we picture Jesus gently holding us, patting us on the back, saying, "There, there, it'll be all right." Listen, that is not the voice of Jesus; that is the echo of your mother speaking. Thank God for mothers, but Jesus is seeking to get us to stop being such babies. He wants us to grow up into His image.

Remember, I am talking about the real Jesus now, the one who said, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). If the Jesus you are following is not leading you into the realm of the impossible to make changes in your world, you are probably following the wrong one.

You see, we do a disservice to people when we tell them, "Give your life to the Lord and He will keep you from trouble." That is not true. We would be more honest to say, "Give your life to Christ, and He will empower you to overcome trouble and adversity." Yes, He will take care of you. But He will not do so by putting you in a harmless world void of problems; rather, He will perfect virtue in you by developing character and by requiring faith--all of which creates the spiritual shelter of a transformed life.

A Storm, a Ghost or Jesus?

Get used to the idea that Jesus is seeking to perfect your faith. Plan on the fact that He will probably set you in some otherwise impossible situation to force your faith to the surface. Sooner or later, the real Jesus will require you to look the impossible straight in the eye and believe God for His power.

Consider the incident when Christ sends His disciples ahead of Him by boat across the Sea of Galilee; that night He crosses this same sea Himself walking on water (see Matthew 14:22-33). Yet, He decides to wait until a storm is rolling in with contrary winds and waves before He sets out. He could have waited for a calm day or simply arrived at the other side, supernaturally, without stopping alongside the boat in the middle of the sea. No, He comes to the disciples with something in mind--He comes to teach a lesson on trust.

Please note that this is a violent storm and that He offers no preliminary instruction, no "Basic Water-Walking 101." He doesn't let them practice on puddles or wait until winter so they could walk on frozen water first. He waits for a storm to teach water-walking, which is by all accounts harder to do on rolling waves than on a placid sea. Then, on top of that, He does not come in daylight; He comes at night. So Jesus comes to the disciples in the middle of the sea, in the middle of a storm, in the middle of the night to teach them to walk on water. He doesn't make it easy. But this is the real Jesus with His real disciples. And we can add to the degree of difficulty the probability that they are physically tired and more than a little fearful about the storm.

Scripture says that the sight of a figure walking on the water, coming out of the blowing wind and spray in the darkness of the night, turns the disciples' fear into terror. They cry out, "It is a ghost!" (Note: Some of the things we label as "ghostly" or demonic are really the Lord stirring life to set the stage for a lesson on faith.)

As Jesus approaches the roll of the boat, He calls out, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."

When Jesus says in the midst of your storm, "It is I," it is a call to faith. When He says, "Take courage," it is a call to action: True faith will always, at some point, require courage.

Peter says, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."

This is wonderful, really. Here is an insight not only into Jesus Christ, but also into Peter's relationship with Jesus. Ever since Peter has known the Lord, Christ has required him and the disciples to do impossible things--heal the sick, feed multitudes with a lunch pail of food, and raise the dead. Over and over Peter has seen Jesus work miracles; over and over Jesus has empowered Peter to do what he saw Jesus just do.

That night on the stormy sea, Peter has this amazing discernment: "If it's really the Lord, He will tell me to do what He is doing--something impossible. If it's the Jesus I know, in a moment, He will be telling me to walk on the water, too." And true to form, Jesus calls out to Peter, "Come!"

Now Peter is not about to walk on the water, not really. When he steps out, he is walking on the word "Come." He knows that the power to accomplish the impossible resides in Christ's word, and it is this supernatural reality upon which he steps.

You see, this is all about trusting the integrity of Jesus Christ's command. Do you think Peter feels power when he steps on the water? I don't think he feels anything besides the storm. No goose bumps. No "glory chills." Peter sits on the topside rail of the rocking boat and swings his legs over the churning water. Peering through the wind and rain, he looks at Jesus. Then he slips down, stands upright in the water, and begins to walk!

Splash! One step. Splash! Then another and another until Peter walks right up to Jesus. This is no little walk. Admittedly, anyone can walk on water for the first step. It is the second step and beyond that is difficult. Peter walks until the waves grab his attention; then he begins to sink. Jesus saves him, of course, and when they get into the boat the wind stops.

Maybe we would expect the Lord to say, "Peter, you did it!" Maybe Peter was expecting praise for his short water-walking career, but no, Jesus rebukes him saying, "Why did you doubt?"

Christ sees the beginning of something great within Peter and He does not want it contaminated by pride or self-pity. Most of us want a medal every time we do something for God, but He is not about to let Peter or us build a monument to our accomplishments, especially when we are just beginning. If this miracle of Peter's were done by some of us here in America, in two weeks we would have tours, T-shirts and commemorative celebrations of the day we walked on water. But Jesus will allow none of that for His disciples. He sees greatness emerging in Peter and He will not press any of His disciples toward anything other than full conformity to His image.

Remember: God's goal is that we become Christlike. The real Jesus is going to call us to do the impossible. This means that we will be called to do what we have never done before. You will see Jesus ahead of you, probably in some kind of storm, but it will be the beginning of a miracle that will change you--and the world around you.

Let's Pray: "Lord, forgive me for seeking a safe life instead of a supernatural life. I want more of You. Call me out of the boat of my familiar, predictable world. Master, for the sake of reaching the lost, increase my faith until I am standing with You on the water of divine potential. In Jesus' name, Amen."


Francis Frangipane
www.frangipane.org
As posted on
www.elijahlist.com
info@elijahlist.net

Believe God: Don't Let Unbelief Rob You

"THE ENEMY IS AFTER YOUR FAITH

DON'T LET UNBELIEF KEEP YOU FROM
RECEIVING YOUR PROMISED LAND"

"If He has shown you your promised land, then believe
He will lead you into that promise."

I truly believe one of the greatest thieves in our walk with God is unbelief! When the spirit of unbelief rules our hearts and minds, God is unable to give us the wondrous, supernatural blessings He so desires. His incredible blessings and miracles are stolen away from us by this deceitful spirit.

God is looking for believers who will look at their circumstances with eyes of faith - people who will, despite all odds, believe for what God can do in any situation. He is also looking for people who will encourage the Body of Christ by reminding them of His great power. Will you be one of those who bring God's viewpoint to His people?

A Different Kind of Spirit

A person of true faith is a rare commodity. There always seems to be five negative people to every one positive person. Have you ever noticed how it is much easier to see the negative? It seems to be the obvious choice, at times. The circumstances that surround us often scream our defeat. But if we take the time to look into God's heart on the matter, we will see it differently. We will see that all is not lost and He has a plan for our good (see Jeremiah 29:11).

Two positive reporters in the Bible were Caleb and Joshua. In Numbers 13 and 14, Moses sent twelve men into the Promised Land to see what it was like and to bring back a report to him and the people of Israel. Twelve spies went in, but only two viewing the situation saw things from God's perspective. Caleb and his friend Joshua saw the land was good and wanted to go get it! Indeed, there were giants in the land, but they knew their God was bigger than any giant.

Unfortunately, their reports were contradicted by the negative reports of the other spies. The ten negative spies saw only the barriers that stood between them and their promised land. They did not believe God was bigger than their circumstances. They said,

"We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us"(Numbers 13:31).

But

"Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, 'We should by all means go upand take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it'" (verse 30).

However, Caleb, try as he might, could not turn the people away from the bad report of the other spies; they refused to believe him. They continued to spread a bad report among the Israelites about the land they explored, saying,

"The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants" (Numbers 13:32)

That night all the people wept and complained about their situation. They grumbled against Moses and were ready to give up, even to the point of death. They cried out,

"Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword?" (Numbers 14:2-3)

Of course, we know that God did not bring them to the wilderness to die, but rather to give them a great victory. But their hope in God had been deferred by the many bad reports they heard. Their faith had been stolen from them! Proverbs 13:12 says,

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick."

A spirit of unbelief had robbed the people of their faith in God and caused them to stumble and rebel against Him.

We see the same struggle today with the negative and positive people pitted against one another, fighting for the hearts and minds of God's people. Those with the positive reports, the ones who fight to declare God's goodness, are terribly outnumbered. But, oh, what a wonderful message they have to bring to God's people! They are the ones who bring the true GOSPEL, which is the good news.

Whether our situation is good or bad, we must have faith in God and know He is in control. Any obstacle that lies in our path is really just another opportunity for God to show us how much He loves us and what He can do.

We can trust Him! No matter how bad a situation is, He is bigger. Tell Him it's impossible and He grins from ear to ear, because He devours the impossible and leaves us amazed. How could we even think for a moment the situation was impossible?

"With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26)

Caleb wasn't stupid. He could see the battle against the inhabitants of the land would not be easy. He saw the giants, but he also had a revelation of how BIG his God was. He said,

"Do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them" (Numbers 14:9).

Pious Deception

"We don't realize what affect our negative words have on God - how hurt He is by our disbelief in Him."

Even some Christians can come to us seeming to be very righteous, when in reality they have been sent by the enemy to discourage the people of God. They feel as though they have been given special insight as to just how bad the situation is. But it is not God's way to show us the negative circumstance without giving us an equal or greater revelation as to how He will redeem it.

Divine reporters view difficulty from God's point of view. They see the light of Christ even in the difficulties surrounding them, and know the favor of the Lord is with them. Refusing to be misled by fear, they allow faith to lead them.

We don't realize what effect our negative words have on God - how hurt He is by our disbelief in Him. He is not a bad God; He is very good and kind. And He wants us to believe and trust in His goodness. When we lead others to view God as "bad" or not in control, we cause them to lose heart and stumble. In doing so, we come under God's judgment, just like the ten spies who caused the Israelite people to rebel against Him.

God judged the Israelites for their rebellion, but His judgment against the ten "bad reporters" was much more severe.

"As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the Lord. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land" (Numbers 14:36-38).

Thousands of people died in the desert because of the negative influence of ten men.

When God saw He was treated with contempt (see Numbers 14:22-23), He became very angry with the Israelites. Their disbelief in Him and their focus on their circumstances had caused them to offend God.

Caleb, on the other hand, had pleased God.

"But my servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it" (Numbers 14:24).

God is pleased with those who trust in Him. If He has shown you your promised land, then believe He will lead you into that promise. We need to take captive any thought, word, or report that would raise itself above what the Lord has declared to be true. If God says you can do it, then you will!

Warning Against Unbelief

God equals the sin of unbelief to that of rebellion (see Hebrews 3). I have never been sorry that I have trusted in God, even if what I have believed for has not happened. However, I have regretted not trusting in Him. Our unbelief hurts God, so much so that He refers to it as a hardened heart (see Hebrews 3:15).

"For who provoked Him when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief" (Hebrews 3:16-19 emphasis mine).

Many of the children of Israel were unable to enter the Promised Land because of their unbelief. They saw the miracles God had previously performed, and heard the Word of God He spoke through His prophets.

"But the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard" (Hebrews 4:2).

Their unbelief led to their disobedience to God; it caused them to sin.

God is honored by our faith in Him. He takes it very personally, and rightly so. If we truly have a personal relationship with Him, we would know Him as faithful and true (see Revelation 19:11). Indeed, our faith in God is an element of our worship to Him. Do not let unbelief keep you from giving Him your heart completely and receiving ALL that He has for you.

Pray this with me:

Dear Father,

Forgive me for not trusting in You completely, and forgive me for my lack of faith and any discouraging words I have spoken. Help me to be an encouragement to Your people. I want You to be pleased with me, so help me to follow You with my whole heart.

In Jesus' name, Amen!

Victoria Boyson Speaking Life Ministries Email: victoria@boyson.org