Intimidation

I N T I M I D A T I O N

Numbers 13:30-33

Who was the most intimidating opponent you ever faced in competition?  How did you perceive yourself in comparison with his/her abilities and stature?  Did your opponent see you in that same light?  Today’s scripture tells a similar story.

In the Old Testament book of Numbers at chapter 13 and verses 30 through 33 we read, “Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’  But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.’  And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.  They said, ‘The land we explored devours those living in it.  All the people there are of great size.  We saw the Nephilim there.  We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”

Caleb was about to lose his patience with his teammates.  They had seen the greatest place they could ever imagine and he was ready to take possession of the place, but his teammates were all afraid. 

Did you hear how they perceived themselves?   They said they saw themselves as grasshoppers in comparison to their opponents.  Worse still, they appeared to be grasshoppers in the eyes of their opponents.

As you compete today, will you see yourselves as Caleb did – fully able to compete with anyone and anywhere?  Or will you see yourself as a grasshopper, one totally out of his league? 

My challenge to you today is to look your opponent directly in the eye and when you see a reflection of yourself in his eyes, see the image of a champion and not that of a grasshopper.

Bible Reading Plan:
Luke 9:1-17
Colossians 4:1-9
Psalms 132
I Chronicles 17-19