^{GIANT OR GRASSHOPPER?}

 

                           

^{(Numbers 13:23,27-28,30-31,33-NLT)}

²³ When they came to the valley of Eshcol, 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!  ²⁷ This was their report to Moses: “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. ²⁸ But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak! ³⁰ But Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” ³¹ But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” ³³ We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers, and that’s what they thought, too!

          When I think of the biblical encounter with Moses, Caleb and the others, my mind recalls the story of Jack & the Beanstalk. We remember the end of the story where Jack comes down the stalk with the giant following behind, chops down the beanstalk and overcomes the giant. Jack refused to let the giant scare or hinder him from getting the things he needed to survive due to his size and his threats.  
          Sometimes we can allow size, obstacles, fear, lack of trust and all sorts of circumstances to prevent us from getting the things we have been promised or is rightfully ours. We can choose to be "grasshoppers" or be "giants."  Grasshoppers are small insects known to be found among the grass, leaves and lowlands. They are not big enough or strong enough to conquer or possess much due to their size. However, giants, on the other hand, are known to be endowed with great strength, height and size. Giants are mostly feared because of their physical attributes. Many fear them due to their size thereby they are able to obtain and conquer whatever territory or possession in their reach.
          God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and a sound mind, empowering us with the authority and the ability to conquer ALL. 1 John 4:4 (NLT) "But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." We don't have to possess the mentality of a grasshopper but can stand tall as a giant to obtain whatever we desire when we pray and speak.
          It is the devil's  jobs to make us fear, lack and miss out on what God has promised us and given to us as His people. The land of Canaan belonged to the Israelites but because of what the spies had observed in the land, they feared to overtake it because of the giants they saw. They were as grasshoppers settling for the least and not the greatest God had for them.
         When we change our mindset and believe that we are more than giants and more than conquerors through Christ Jesus, we will take the land...take the city, take what is rightfully ours and become the GIANTS in our promised territory in our promised season! Grasshopper or Giant! Which one are you?