God's power

By now, most of us have probably heard one minister or another tells us that the distance from the Red Sea to the Promise Land was an eleven-day walk. So the Israelites could have gone from captivity and slavery to a land flowing with milk and honey after a few days of walking. What happened? You might be asking. “Fear.” The majority of them listened to the ten spies who reported why they couldn’t take the land God was giving them instead of the two men of God full of faith. The ten assumed they were being called to battle. They failed to understand the battle is the Lord’s!

The result of listening to men who struggled with fear instead of God was walking in the desert for forty years. This is so difficult for me to understand, They had just witnessed God separating the Red Sea, and they walked to the other side on dry ground, and then, if that wasn’t enough to prove God’s mighty power, they watched as He closed the Red Sea drowning, eradicating their enemy! Faith should have been the last thing they lacked.

I know I have not walked in their sandals, but I would like to think I would have agreed with the men of faith who reported they could do it. It seems that many people will listen to men instead of God. No, they may not wander in a desert as a result, but they certainly do miss out on everything God has for them.

It seems as if some, who do not know God personally, have more respect for Him and his power than some believers do! I guarantee Israel’s enemies were scared. Imagine the testimony to all who are watching your life, whether you realize it or not, when they see God’s mighty hand at work in you. Have you ever thought about the fact that percentage-wise, there are only a handful of ministries in the world that are affecting the world for God’s glory? That is because those leaders dared to believe God instead of men!

Has God instructed you to go or do something that looks impossible for a mortal man? Remember this:

Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.” Mat. 19:26 (NET)

If He has, go for it. Follow God every step as He leads you into the land He desires to give you. Put your foot in the exact same spot where God’s foot just left. Don’t look to the left or the right. Don’t expect your journey to take place the same way God did it for someone else either. Cover your ears if you have to so you aren’t tempted to listen to negative thoughts.

When I was accepting my first position as a youth minister at a church that said they couldn’t pay me a salary, my father told me I was crazy and forbade me to go. I was twenty-one and hadn’t lived under his roof for three years. I listened to my heavenly Father, who told me to go. I listened to the CEO of heaven instead, and without a salary from the church, my needs were met.

Are you eleven days from your promised land?

The best I can recall, most stories in the Bible involved a person who wasn’t qualified, had a natural defect, or an attitude. They didn’t know how to do what God had asked of them, felt they weren’t good enough to accomplish the task, or didn’t want to.

When God called me into the ministry, I started out as a youth minister. I had been in a couple of youth groups, but had never led one. I didn’t feel qualified, and believe it or not, I felt as though I was too short to be respected. After all, some in the high school group were taller than me. Even some of the girls! At the age of 21, after accepting who I was in height, I actually grew two more inches. I was told that was impossible.

Since I felt so unqualified I realized I needed God, a lot! I once prayed for two hours, one morning, a very long request of God to help me at anything I may encounter in ministry. I titled it my, “Oh God” prayer. Boy, did I pray it often. I would find myself in situations I was either uncomfortable, or simply just didn’t know what to do or say. I would pray under my breath, “Oh God”. He knew I had asked him to honor that two hour prayer any time I said those words. He did then, and still does to this day, honor that prayer!

David was short, but slew a giant. Joshua led a generation into the promise land who had heard from their parents and grandparents, probably more than once how the land was filled with giants. Jonah had an attitude. Moses stuttered. Peter denied Christ. Noah endured years of ridicule to build a boat when it had never rained. The prophet Elijah called down fire from heaven. There are so many more.

You see, the one thing all of these individuals had in common is this, they couldn’t say, “No.” to God, and they then accepted and believed that He would help them, and He did! He helped them and He will help you as well. God will help you accomplish the task and cross the finish line.