Monday meditation: Deciding not to believe the majority report
Someone reading today’s story for the first time might say, “Why get so upset about a majority report?” Of 12 spies sent to check out the Promised Land, 10 of them said, “We’ll never overcome all the obstacles we’re facing there,” and they had a long list of good reasons for their conclusion. Why listen to the bravado of just two who wanted to take the land in spite of the problems? After all, we’re not talking here about choosing a restaurant or a new pair of shoes. The lives of thousands were at stake. It only made sense to heed the warning of the majority.
They cut down a branch with a single cluster of grapes so large that it took two of them to carry it on a pole between them! . . . “We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! (Numbers 13: 23, 27, 28 NLT).
Presumably, these spies were godly men, each of them chosen because he was a leader of the Israelites (Numbers 13:2). All 10 were in agreement. The strength of their testimony was strong, and their negative news sent the whole nation into crisis (Numbers 13:32—14:4).
Many readers of this blog know about crisis. Crisis is the condition for many a caregiver’s life. And someone pondering a caregiver’s situation might ask, “Why be surprised if this person becomes discouraged, dismayed, or depressed? He’s dealing with a horrible illness, isn’t he? The disease’s effects get only worse, and the caregiver’s situation will become only closer to impossible, right? He’s not being negative; he’s simply admitting the facts.”
But we do well to look at all the facts. The Israelites, for example, had been confronted with example after example of God’s miraculous provision. With a string of stunning miracles, God had protected their escape from Egypt and provided so they could claim a land of their own. Had they forgotten? Couldn’t they pause for just one afternoon to consider how he could slay the giants and defeat the enemies in front of them?
Obviously, they couldn’t. And caregivers today, even those with deep faith in God, may wonder where God is or what he’s doing in the face of their obstacles.
The Israelites wailing in the desert couldn’t see the future, and their experience from the recent past wasn’t enough to bolster their resolve.
We can’t see the future, either, of course. But we can remember how God has given us strength for each new day and provided blessings we didn’t seek. Can we pause for just a few minutes to consider how he will come through for us again?
The Israelites were plunged into decades of wilderness wandering because they didn’t have the courage to move forward. We can see their experience and pray for the resolve to face our giants with God beside us today. Who knows how he will reward our faith?
Read: Numbers 13:1-3, 17-20, 25-32, New Living Translation
Pray: Heavenly Father, I’m dealing with problems too big for me to solve alone: the deterioration of my loved one’s condition, the depletion of my strength to cope, the erosion of my finances, and concerns about my own health as well. Only you can help. I’ll commit my future to you and move forward with you beside me today.
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