In Part One, we looked at To Get to the Promised Land, You Have to Get Through the Wilderness. But many Christians have a distorted view of what that means.
2. To Possess Your Land, You Must See Yourself as God Sees You
Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, But his heart is not with you.
Every human being has a very powerful facility that allows us to see things that are not there – it is called imagination. It is the source of our creative power. We get it from God; that is, it is one of the things we inherited from Him since we are made in His image.
Dictionary definition: the faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.
A strong inward image of a goal will give us power and strength to endure hardship. What you believe is as important, and in many cases is more important, than your abilities.
Even Jesus used the inward image of a goal to strengthen Himself.
Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What you believe about yourself can and will make the difference between victory and defeat. The world knows this.
The coach in the locker room giving the pep talk to his team before going out on the field. The sports commentator saying that a team won the game because “they wanted it more”. The commander inspiring his troops before going into battle.
Many years ago I had a friend with a successful insurance agency, who had taken the Dale Carnegie sales course. He said that one of the major things it taught was to stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself that you were a success, and that customers wanted your product.
Israel Defeated By What They Believed
Numbers 13:27-33 27 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit.
28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there.
29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.”
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31 But 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.”
32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature.
33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
Was Israel defeated by the giants or the walled cities? No. They were defeated by their image of themselves: “we were grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight”. They were defeated before they even started.
Seeing Yourself As God Sees You
So, how do you get an inner image of how God sees you? You have to look at the right things.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
What is it that you see when you look in a mirror? Yourself. But Paul speaks of a special mirror, that when you look into it, you see the glory of the Lord – or, you see the glory of the Lord in you. This mirror shows you how God sees you, what you look like in the spirit. And when you see how God sees you, you are transformed into that image.
The word translated transformed is an interesting one; it is metamorphomai, from which we get the English word metamorphosis. Examples of metamorphosis is a tadpole turning into a frog, or a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.
The key is that deep in the DNA of that tadpole there is already a frog, and in the DNA of that caterpillar there is a butterfly. Metamorphosis is the process whereby a nature that is buried deep on the inside becomes visible on the outside.
Rom 12:12 Wuest’s Expanded Translation And stop assuming an outward expression that does not come from within you and is not representative of what you are in your inner being, but is patterned after this age; but change your outward expression to one that comes from within and is representative of your inner being, by the renewing of your mind…
So what is this mirror? It is the word of God. The New Testament will paint you a picture of who you are, in Christ. You have to read it, agree with it, and believe it. And it will transform you.
But you have to act on it also. That should be a natural outflow of believing the word. If you agree with what the Word says verbally, but don’t act on it, do you really believe it? We call that mental assent. James describes the state of someone who hears the word but doesn’t act on it:
James 1:22-25 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
3. “We Are Not Able” Must Be Removed From Your Thinking
Through Numbers 13:29, the spies gave the report of what they saw in the land, which was what they were supposed to do.
Numbers 13:30-31 30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31 But 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.”
Caleb said they were well able to take the land, and the other ten spies said they were not able. Your opinion of your own ability is directly attributable to how you see yourself.
The ten spies were looking at their natural ability compared to what they could see of the Canaanites: their numbers, their training, the fortifications of the cities, and the physical size of the people.
Caleb, on the other hand, was looking at who was with them – the Mighty God who had already brought Egypt, a nation stronger than the Canaanites, to its knees.
Numbers 14:6-9 6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes;
7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land.
8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’
9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
This is a familiar concept throughout the New Testament.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philipiansl 4:13)
Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. (1 John 4:4)
We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)
Be strong in the Lord, and the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. (Eph 6:10-11)
Not Limited to Our Abilities
If you look at your own natural abilities and resources, you will always find a reason why you are not able. “I’m too young”, or “I’m too old”, or “I don’t have the money”.
Caleb enters the Promised Land
Joshua 14:6-13 6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea.
7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart.
8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God.
9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’
10 And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.
11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.
12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”
13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.
Caleb had to go through the forty years in the wilderness with the rest of Israel. But at 85 years old, he said he was just as strong and just as ready to take the land as he was 40 years before. And what land did he pick? The mountain where they saw the Anakim, the giants!
David and Goliath
We are all familiar with the story of David and Goliath. It took place many years after the story of Israel entering the Promised Land, but Goliath was of the Anakim giants that the spies had seen. He was a big dude – over 9 feet tall.
1 Samuel 17:4-7 4 And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 He had a bronze helmet on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze.
6 And he had bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.
7 Now the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and his iron spearhead weighed six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.
The armies of Israel were terrified of him, looking at his stature, and his reputation of being a warrior since he was young.
1 Samuel 17:24-27 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.
25 So the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.”
26 Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”
When David looked at Goliath, he saw something different – an “uncircumcised Philistine”. That meant he had no covenant with God. Like Caleb, David knew that it was not his own might or ability that gave him the advantage, but his relationship with God.
There was something in David’s words that attracted the attention of people – it was real faith. So they brought David to King Saul. David was already known to Saul – remember David played the harp for Saul to soothe him from the tormenting spirit (1 Sam 16:14-23).
1 Samuel 17:31-33 31 Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him.
32 Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
Saul said David was not able, because he was looking at David’s age, stature, and experience.
1 Samuel 17:34-37 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,
35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it.
36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
37 Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
Saul was wrong about one thing – David did have experience. He had taken on a bear and a lion armed with nothing but a club. And he had doubtless spent many many hours target practicing with his sling. He had already gone through his training period.
4. We Must Be More Convinced Of God’s Promises Than The Circumstances That Oppose
The perception of our ability flows from how we see ourselves. And how we see ourselves flows from what we are looking at.
Numbers 13:33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”
The ten spies were looking at the stature of the giants. Their conclusion was that they were like grasshoppers. Caleb and Joshua were looking at what God had done in delivering Israel from Egypt, and what God had promised. And their conclusion was that they were well able to take the land.
Israel was afraid of the Canaanites. The truth was, the Canaanites were terrified of them. We learn this 40 years later, when a couple of spies (different ones) were sent to Jericho. Jericho was one of the large, fortified cities that the original spies saw on the first occasion. Rahab hides them, and tells them what the people of the land thought about Israel.
Joshua 2:9-11 9 … (Rahab) said to the men: “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you.
10 For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.
11 And as soon as we heard these things, our hearts melted; neither did there remain any more courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.
The news of the things Israel did that Rahab spoke about was 40 years old by the time she was speaking with the spies. They knew Israel was coming, and they lived in dread about it.
Lots of Christians are afraid of the devil. The truth is, the devil is afraid of you. That’s why he does everything he can to deceive you and convince you that you are weak and helpless.
Looking at circumstances gives fear the opportunity to enter.
Matthew 14:24-32 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.
26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.
30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
The disciples were in a hard way, caught in a storm as they tried to cross the Sea of Galilee. Galilee was notorious for these squalls that could come up suddenly. They had been in this situation before, remember when Jesus was asleep in the back on a pillow.
But Jesus wasn’t with them this time. They were probably saying, “Oh, if only Jesus were here!” remembering how He had calmed the winds and waves the last time.
So here comes Jesus, walking on the water – and they are terrified! “Ahhhh! A ghost!” I’ve heard it said that there was an old fisherman’s superstition that if you saw a ghost when out on the water, it meant you were about to join him.
Jesus calls out to them, “Hey guys, it’s OK, it’s Me!” And good old impetuous Peter replies back, “Lord, if it is You, bid me to come to you on the water”. Now what is Jesus going to do, say “No, Peter, don’t come, it’s not Me”? So He says “Come.” Actually, that was a very bold thing for Peter to ask, and the Lord will always encourage our faith.
So Peter gets out of the boat and starts walking on the water to Jesus – a feat we normally associate with divinity. It has become a byword in our culture for a miracle worker, someone who can do things no one else seemingly can – “that guy walks on water”.
But something happens on the way. He feels the wind blowing against him, and looks around and sees the waves, taking his eyes off of Jesus and putting them on the circumstances. The devil hands him a line “You can’t walk on the water when it’s windy!” Yeah? Try it when it’s perfectly calm and see if it’s any easier.
Fear entered, and the miracle began to unravel. I say “it began” because it says Peter was beginning to sink. If you step into the deep end of a swimming pool, do you “begin” to sink? No, you go down, sploosh! But praise God, Jesus was there to immediately catch him,, and they walked back to the boat together.
2 Corinthians 5:7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.
This means we are to let ourselves be motivated by our belief in God and His promise, and not by what we perceive with our physical senses.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.
17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,
18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
The life of faith is like this: God says to you, “See, this is your Land”. “But Lord, there are big hairy devils all over it!” “Yep! I have given it to you. Now go out and get it! I’ll be with you!”
Never take opposition or contrary circumstances as an indication that something is not God’s will for you – if He’s already told you it’s yours. Realize the sometimes opposition can come in circumstances because you are doing exactly what the Lord wants you to – and the devil wants to stop you.
5. Tread Upon Your Land
Joshua 1:1-9 1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying:
2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them–the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses.
4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
5 No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
This was the pep talk that God gave Joshua after Moses was gone. Those were some pretty big shoes for Joshua to fill. God reiterates that He would be with Joshua as He was with Moses, and gave him the key to success and prosperity in vs. 8:
- Keep the word coming out of your mouth
- Meditate in it
- Then you will be able to do it
- And that will give you good success
The root of the Hebrew word translated meditate means to murmer or mutter. You need to be talking the word, God’s promises, to yourself.
Sometimes you need to stake your claim, mark your territory, and name what you are going after. “That sounds like name it and claim it”. It is. The reason that people have gotten off with it is because they have been claiming what they want rather than what God said. God had just laid out the plan and told Joshua the boundaries of what He was giving to Israel. So it would be perfectly right for Joshua to speak and claim for Israel what God said.
Speak to yourself what God has told you. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, and you’ll believe yourself better than anybody else. It doesn’t necessarily mean you should share it with the whole world – some people won’t understand, and you’ll get flack for it. Like when Joseph told his brothers about the dreams God gave him.
