Numbers
13:1–33
John
18:25–19:16
Psalm
13:1–6
When the Israel finally got to the edge of the land God promised
them, Moses sent some of them to spy out the land of Canaan. He said to them, “Go up into the Negeb and go up into the hill country,
and see what the land is, and whether the people who dwell in it are strong or
weak, whether they are few or many, and whether the land that they dwell in is
good or bad, and whether the cities that they dwell in are camps or
strongholds, and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees
in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.”
(Numbers 13:17–20)
They went, saw the land and brought back a branch of
grapes so heavy it took two men to carry it. However, they didn’t like what
else they saw. One of them, Caleb, quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able
to overcome it.” Then the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able
to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they
brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied
out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land
that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great
height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the
Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to
them.” (Numbers
13:30–33)
Joshua and Caleb were ready to take Canaan. The other
spies were not. I’m thinking, whose God is bigger?
The NT reading describes the trial of Jesus, or rather one
of them. He met with Pilate. Pilate finds no fault in Him and wanted to release
Him, but the Jews cried out, “If you release this
man, you are not Caesar’s friend. Everyone who makes himself a king opposes
Caesar.” So when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out and sat down on
the judgment seat at a place called The Stone Pavement, and in Aramaic
Gabbatha. Now it was the day of Preparation of the Passover. It was about the
sixth hour. He said to the Jews, “Behold your King!” They cried out, “Away with
him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your
King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” So he
delivered him over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus . . . .” (John 19:12–16)
In those days, the people worshiped their Caesar as a god.
How foolish. Again, I am thinking whose God is bigger? Their god Caesar would eventually
die, but he would never walk out of the grave three days later. Whose God is
bigger?
I sometimes think of this question when my faith seems
weak. They remind me that this isn’t about the size of my faith, nor the size
of my problems. When I feel overwhelmed, I’m need to remember the size of my
God.
With the psalmist it was his enemy that made him feel weak
and afraid . . .
“Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I
sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, ‘I have prevailed over him,’ lest
my foes rejoice because I am shaken. But I have trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully
with me.” (Psalm 13:3–6)
I love how he answered this question even as he prayed.
Now and then I sing, “When my heart is overwhelmed, lead
me to the Rock that is higher than I . . . .” realizing that no matter my
problem, my God is bigger, more powerful, than anything that threatens. He is
my strong tower, my refuge and strength. He sustained Jesus in His worst hour. He
will sustain me with my puny problems.
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