Tonight at cell, I'll be sharing on Numbers 13, when Moses sent 12 spies into the land of Canaan in order to scout the Promise Land that God had already given to His people (they just needed to go in and possess the land).
These 12 spies were key leaders; each tribe sent a leader to represent them. This means that they were men of power and influence, who had been known to make sound decisions and to act with courage. These men were chosen and trusted to be faithful and resolute in the face of challenges.
When they returned with their report, 10 spies discouraged the people to enter the Promise Land, and only 2 remained steadfast in believing that God would see them through to deliver the land into their hands. Because of the 10 leaders who did not want to go forward, the entire nation of Israel was not able to enter Canaan until an entire generation died out in the wilderness.
What separated Joshua and Caleb from the rest of the leaders? I'm sure that all of them were known to be men of great courage and strength. Clearly, this was not enough - the differentiating factor was that Joshua and Caleb were men of great faith.
Beyond their strength of character and bravery, they understood in their hearts that they could trust in God even if all rational sense dictated that they would fail. They knew that if God was behind them, the victory was assured.
The bible describes them as men of a different spirit; those who were not led by a spirit of fear but who followed the Spirit of God.
As spiritual leaders, there is probably no greater strength that can be displayed than a steadfast faith through every situation, no matter how difficult the circumstances are. It is simply not enough to be highly intelligent, capable and courageous because these are still characteristics limited to a human.
Why constrain yourself to the potential of a human being when you can have access to the Creator?
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