how we see our problems

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! 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev, and the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country. The Canaanites live along the coast of the Mediterranean Seat and along the Jordan Valley." 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!"

I have read this passage many times. It is powerful. It is about the time when Moses, the leader of God's people, sent spies to go see and report on the land that God had promised them. Remember, this is a God-thing. God promised these people the land. God provided what these people needed every day. God was more than what they needed with guiding them all the time.

Yet 10 of the spies gave a horrible report. Taking this land would be hard and even be a war because the people are like giants. These men described the people of God as weak and pretty much said God is too weak to get them in the land.

Joshua and Caleb gave a different story. They said that this land is theirs for the taking. It is time to move in. The land is also blessed and so good in many, many ways. It was time to go get what God promised.

What is the difference between the 10 spies and the 2 spies? The difference is in how they look at their problem. The 10 spies said we can't do this, and God won't do this. Joshua and Caleb said God is bigger and better than any problem we might have. They said trust God.

How do we look at our problems? Do we first look at God and them our problems understanding that God can do anything? Or do we look at our problems and then look at God and see God as inferior and weak?

May we have a different outlook than any one else! God is able to do anything. How we look at our problems makes all the difference.

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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