Lord, we are here today with open hands and an open heart, ready to depend on You to help us through the day and all it will bring our way. Help us be like Nehemiah; help us come to You for guidance, strength, provision, and protection. As we face tough choices and challenging situations, help us remember our belovedness, help us not forget that we are Your children and Your representative to the world around us. Help us live today in a way that brings honor to Your holy name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Answer The Caleb Calling:
Numbers 13:30, "Caleb interrupted, called for silence before Moses, and said, "Let's go up and take the land – NOW. WE CAN DO IT." (MSG)
You often hear me mention the word Risktakers, that God is looking for risk-taker, bold warriors, people who are sold out for Him, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. The Daniels, Peter, and Paul
Looking throughout my life, I realized that everything I have done and accomplished came through RISK.
But I had a friend who wanted to be a teacher and eventually became a teacher, but she almost allowed her drawbacks to stop her. Even her love of teaching came through risk. You see, she was a Minister-in-Training, and one of her responsibilities was to teach. The problem? She was not raised in the church and had no experience teaching, especially of all things in the Bible! The Truth is, she was still trying to teach it to herself! But there was no way around this whole teaching thing, not if you would be in leadership. And it is not the teaching alone that was terrifying, but the thought of the students not liking her or, worse, not understanding what she was teaching. And to make matters worse, she was a bit self-conscious because she shared that she had horrible acne, a chipped tooth, and the podium was as tall as she was (so, even if they could hear her and understand her, could they see her?)! She was worried, scared, and quite insecure about her appearance, knowledge of teaching, etc. There was this one line that rang over and over in her head, 'She doesn't think this is a clever idea.' And if that was not bad enough, the only advice her leader gave her was 'there’s no reward without risk. Just give it a chance. You’ll never know if you never try.’ She has been teaching ever since! But how did that first session go? Horrible! LOL! She said she had forgotten everything but her name! But her leader kept pushing her week after week. ‘You can do this…you’ll stumble, fall, cry, get a badly bruised ego, but you’ll also dust off, get back up and keep walking…trust me, you’ll get there.’ Guess what? It worked! It was worth the risk! Because now, she has the limitless opportunity to travel anywhere and teach, train, develop, lead to prepare curriculum, seminars, and workshops. In church, at work, in schools. And all because the reward was worth the risk.
Even in my own life, I would never be able to do what I do now if I hadn’t taken the risk.
So, what rewards are you missing in life because you are too afraid to take the risk?
Well, how about we start with the definition of ‘risk’? It is defined as “a situation involving exposure to danger, injury or harm; the possibility that something unpleasant will happen; the possibility of loss.” Its’ French Origin ‘risqué,’ from its Italian Origin ‘Risco’ means ‘danger.’ A few synonyms are ‘hazard; a pitfall; threat; and trouble.’ Trust me, I hear you screaming, ‘that’s why I’m not risking it!’ Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong, my friend.
The truth is, anything worth having is worth the risk to get! And yes, that risk will include putting you in situations that can be dangerous (after all, you may fall on your face in front of everybody); the risk can cause injury and harm (especially to your ego, conceit, arrogance, high-mindedness, and pride); something unpleasant can happen (you can forget the words, freeze up, stutter, faint, be talked about, gossiped about); you may even encounter loss (especially of the security you had in your comfy, comfort zone); it may be hazardous (because you may find out that those in your circle were the very ones keeping you boxed in); you may even come across a pitfall (which is defined as a hidden or unsuspected danger or difficulty; a covered pit for use as a trap.’ Yep, the very ones who give you the opportunity may be setting you up for a great, unsuspected fall); you may experience threats (especially if you happen to become better than the others who just knew you would try, fail, and give up…but you didn’t! And so, you will have to deal with the oppression that comes with every opportunity.); and lastly, you will have some trouble (after all, did you think you’d achieve something great without it?)
Yes, my friend, you will have to risk it to get it, but once you do, you will realize it was worth it!
Remember this: You Cannot Attain What You Don’t Go After! And when what you are going after is BIG, you’ll always be tempted to let minor stumbles stop you dead in your tracks! Don’t You Dare Let It Happen!
You press forward no matter what! Even if the risk means you have to change your circle of friends, you have to try something new or do something different. It’s worth the chance to get all God has for you and to become all that God has called you to be!
There was this striking poster on the wall. It showed two mountain climbers near the peak of this Alpine Mountain, straining to reach the top. But it was the inscription that impressed me most. It read: “Conquest without risk is a triumph without glory.” That is pretty good.
Now, that does not just apply to reaching the top of a mountain. It describes everything worth doing in life. No risk, no meaningful conquest – a triumph without glory. Minimal risk – low return. Considerable risk – high return. It is a principle that defines Spiritual Greatness or Spiritual Mediocrity.
Whether it is a relationship, a job, a career, a ministry, a church, a business, you will encounter risk before reward! This is what we learned in our lesson today.
In Numbers 13, the conquest was not a mountain; it took the Promised Land that God had promised. And if you take a moment to think about that, you will realize just how ridiculous we can be when it comes to taking a risk. God, Himself promised them the Promised Land. So, how could they allow a threat to scare them from what God promised them?
Numbers 23:19, “God is not man, one given to lies, and not a son of man changing his mind. Does he speak and not do what he says? Does he promise and not come through?” (MSG)
Now, how could anyone with this level of Character and Integrity be doubted? How can anyone who serves this God be fearful enough to forfeit a fruitful future that was guaranteed to be theirs? But can we be honest? Are we any different? That job would have been ours if we did not talk ourselves out of going for it. I did not think we were qualified (and sometimes we weren’t, however, if God says go for it, not even that should stop you)! Who knows the house you would already own if you were not so sure that your credit score alone was the guaranteed deal-breaker? God does not need your credit score to get you to the goal! Who knows what you would be driving if only you had trusted God? Who knows who you would be married to if you only trusted God, heard, and heeded His voice, instead of the internal clock in your head telling you to grab Bubba over there because, at 30, he is the best shot you’ve got? Who knows the grants and scholarships that passed you by because you did not think you had what it took for them to come your way? Who knows how well that business would be doing today if only you would have trusted God with the blueprints instead of handing them over to your fears to redesign? Who knows where the church or ministry would be if only you would have believed God when the battle raged instead of retreating and running away?
People of God, please commit this to memory: God does not make promises He can’t keep! So, if He said it is yours, it is yours! And that holds no matter what you see, what you hear, or what they say or what they look like! God keeps His promises; He keeps His Word; He fulfills it and makes it come true, so why are you doubting? Why are you stagnant? Why are you fearful? Why are you not moving forward? Why are you not trying it? Why are you scared? Why are you not taking the risk?
Listen: They were guaranteed the promise of the Promised Land! Problem? It was currently inhabited by fierce people who, of course, did not plan to hand it over. And whether they would ever experience all God had for them depending on whether they would trust Him enough to take some significant risks. Now whether you experience all God has for you may rely on that same thing.
So, are you willing to trust God with what He promised you even if you will have to take some significant risks in the process? Are you ready to risk being talked about, walked away from, laughed at? Are you willing to risk having to endure the uncommon, the unfamiliar, and the uncomfortable? Are you ready to take the risk that small minds will attempt to shake your confidence and faith in achieving the big dreams that God said can and will become your reality? Are you willing to risk having to go alone? Are you ready to risk going without complete insight into how God will make this thing happen? Are you willing to take the risk to go to the bank, walk into the dealership, meet with the loan officer, apply to the school, show up for the interview, write the book, buy that property, or that land? Are you willing to take the risk of being misunderstood? Are you ready to take the risk of looking misplaced for the moment? Are you willing to take the risk?
Twelve scouts had explored the land of Canaan, and they reported back on the fabulous beauty and bounty they found there. But ten of those scouts chose to focus on the risks, two on the Lord who had promised them this land. It boiled down to an exchange like this, recorded in Numbers 13, beginning with verse twenty-seven, “This was their report: “We arrived in the land you sent us to see, and it is indeed a magnificent country—a land ‘flowing with milk and honey.’ Here is some fruit we have brought as proof. But the people living there are powerful, and their cities are fortified and exceptionally large; what’s more, we saw Anakim giants there! The Amalekites live in the south. There are the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites; down along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and in the Jordan River Valley are the Canaanites.” But Caleb reassured the people as they stood before Moses. “Let us go up at once and possess it,” he said, “for we are well able to conquer it!” “Not against people as strong as they are!” the other spies said. “They would crush us!” So, the majority report of the spies was negative: “The land is full of warriors, the people are powerfully built, and we saw some of the Anakim there, descendants of the ancient race of giants. We felt like grasshoppers before them, and they were so tall!” (TLB)
Now, they brought back fruit (Proof) that the land (God Promised to be Theirs) was indeed Flowing With Milk and Honey. And still, in the face of all of this, the Scripture says, “…So the majority report of the spies was negative.” How do you hold the proof in your hand and still say that we cannot handle it?! The Proof Was Already in Your Hand! It’s Prosperous, and it’s Promised to Us! And yet they forfeit! That is like receiving a payment in the entire mansion, your name only on the deed, nothing owed out of your pocket, the keys in your hands, but you spend 40 years standing on the stoop looking at a door you never open to fully possess what’s already yours!
Keep in mind that anytime you are about to make a positive change, someone will come with a negative report! The choice is yours to believe it or believe God. My suggestion? Believe God!
Isaiah 55:8-11, “…For as the sky soars high above the earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think. Just as rain and snow descend from the skies and don’t go back until they’ve watered the earth, doing their work of making things grow and blossom, producing seed for farmers and food for the hungry, So, will the words that come out of my mouth not come back empty-handed. They’ll do the work I sent them to do; they’ll complete the assignment I gave them.” (MSG)
When God sends His Word on Assignment, it has no other option than to Fulfill the Assignment! Therefore, you have nothing and no one to worry about when God gives you a Promise! Not the naysayers, not the negative report, not the disapproving stares, or the discouraging words. Nothing can stop what God starts!
Philippians 1:6, “I’m convinced that God, who began this good work in you, will carry it through to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.” (GWT)
God has proven Himself trustworthy to Carry to Completion what He Began! In a nutshell: Nothing and No One Can Stop What God Starts! Now, all you need to do is be just as “Convinced”! The word “convince” means “to cause to believe firmly in the truth of something; to persuade to do something.” Its’ Latin Origin ‘convincere’ means ‘to overcome, to demonstrate,’ from ‘Vincere” which means “to conquer.” Listen, if you are going to get what God’s got for you, it will take the risk, but you will reap a reward! And all you’ve got to do is be convinced that what He promised will come to pass! You’ve got to believe firmly in the Truth, regardless of the Facts! Yes, there were Giants (Facts), but they could never be more extensive than God (Truth)! That is why we are to walk by FAITH, not by Sight! Let your Spirit lead you, not your Senses! Because often when God is about to do something BIG, your senses tell you to Shrink back! Don’t You Dare Do It!
Now, as for them, you know the result. The people followed the lead of the ten scouts who said, “The risks are too great.” And they never saw the Promised Land! So be careful who you listen to, who you trust, who you share your vision, hopes, and dreams with. Everyone will want to reap the rewards with you, but very few will want you to take the risk, and even fewer will take the risk with you! Caleb says, “yes, let’s do this, we got this, we can do this, we can conquer this,” yet the naysayers respond like this:
When you are getting ready to take a considerable risk and get what God’s got for you, look out for people like this! Those who will attempt to discourage you will give you wrong or false reports, lie to you, spread rumors of fear, and bring you bad news! These are dream killers and destiny destroyers, avoid them at all costs, or you will pay a pretty penny in missing out on the Promises of God for your life!
Unfortunate as it may be, they chose what was safe, and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They could have had beautiful; instead, they lived and died in nature! Over the years, many of God’s children have made that same tragic miscalculation. And they have lived that same sad result. Do you want that to be descriptive of you?
Right now, God may be asking you to follow Him into something risky. To obey Him will mean taking a financial risk, or a geographical risk, a social risk, doing something that’s way beyond your comfort zone. Something out of the norm and status quo. But when you get serious about obedience to God and the promises of God, usually such a thing involves risk. But the great danger is not in obeying God’s “risky” leading; it is in not obeying because you will not risk it at all! You will miss the top of the mountain if you listen to every little molehill murmurer along the way. You will miss the best that God has for you. You will miss the Promised Land. Are you willing to risk that?
Maybe you’re all settled in at your little base camp at the bottom of the mountain. You are safe, but you will never see the view from the top if you stay where you have always been. You have been stuck there long enough; it is time to move on before you miss out.
Dream big; broaden your vision; enlarge your territory; go further; reach higher! They’ve got Giants, but you’ve got God, it’s a Fixed Fight, and you’ve got the Fruit in Hand to Prove it! So, trust God and Take the Risk; the Reward Reaped Will be Well Worth it!
Mark 4: 18-19 – 20. Beyond your imagination, above what you are asking because He is not limited, The Word of God Is A Dream Fulfiller. Nourish Your Dream with The Word of God. Feed your dreams with nutrients which is God’s word; you are nurturing and cultivating. When you get into God’s presence, you get to see the depth of it. God is looking for you to seek Him out, feed on the word of God, one idea that can bring you out of all the lack into wealth.
Mark 29: 3-4 All things are possible to him who believes. Do Not Let People Kill Your Dream; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
When you make up in your mind that I am going to walk in my dreams, the desires, and the visions that God has given me, that is when the enemy looks to see who he may devour, that is the point where it seems like everything has broken loose. See, it is not until you make up in your mind that you will live out your dream that the enemy comes in like a flood. See, you can have a dream, but when you plan to live out that dream, the enemy tries to destroy it. This is because the devil does not want you to successfully fulfill your destiny, the expected end that God has for you.
There are times when we do not know why some things happen (good or bad). Trusting God in these kinds of times is what faith is all about. Jesus’ walk was challenging, but He kept on... you can keep on too! Your faith must not be an afterthought; it is your most prized possession. Nurture and exercise it with passion! Father helps us to be Christians with a contagious and courageous faith. Through all our pain and joy, my God, you were there. You never left us alone. That is why we must dance in the Spirit! Pause and thank God for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon you. Feel that peace? That is God's hand on you. He is the God of wholeness and restoration once you step into Him. We must consume His Word daily. This world is a battlefield; therefore, we are walking onto a battlefield in our daily lives. Jesus Christ is the magnet who holds us all in place. Vertical forgiveness is what we receive from our gracious God, and horizontal forgiveness is what we extend to others in His name. Follow Christ; He will lead you through the hardships of life. Just Follow Him!
Children of God, it is time to take what’s yours. Learn from the story of Caleb, who boldly said, “Give me this mountain!” and claimed it as his inheritance. That as a child of God, your heavenly Father has promised you an inheritance. Caleb concluded his moving declaration with a request and a challenge with which my heart finds full sympathy. At 85, Caleb said, “Give me this mountain” (Josh. 14:12). God has a promise for you as well.
Blessings
J.P. Olson
https://www.thewordwithjpolson.com
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