All of us at one time or another are forced to encounter “giants” in our lives. Giants are the ugly issues none of us want to face. However, even the joys in our lives seem to be intertwined with these beasts and when we approach them, it becomes time to pull out the swords.
I believe the rising and falling that will occur on our own individual battle fields depend on our perspectives. Will we fall to the giants? Or will we rise up against them with our swords?
Last week at Vacation Bible School, my four year old son showed me a cross his group leader drew on His hand. He is a typical little boy who loves to run around with pretend swords and fight the enemies in his creative imagination. He was quick to make an observation regarding the cross on his hand. He said, “Look mom, first it’s a cross…
but if I turn my hand this way, it looks like a sword.”
Oh yes, he was on to something…
The cross of Christ is the only sword able to slay the giants that try to stand against us. (Click to tweet.)
In Numbers 13, the Lord asks Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan. This is what ensued…
Numbers 13: 25-33
25 And they returned from spying out the land after forty days.
26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 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.” (N.K.J.V.)
Take note of the two perspectives. One leads to rising, the other to a hard fall.
In Numbers chapter 14, Israel refuses to enter the land but Joshua and Caleb had this to say…
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.” (N.K.J.V.)
After they had finished giving a mighty word the congregation actually wanted to stone them. But then the Lord appeared, and wow, was He ever angry…
In our day-to-day lives we will face giants. There is no circumventing that fact. However, if God is with you then do not fear them. Take the land! The foundation of the Lord is strong, unbreakable, and mighty. If He says, “Go” then do not hesitate.
Take up the cross, which the Father so mercifully and freely colored with the blood of His Son to save us, and use it as a sword by following Christ into the land he has for you. Start fighting and rise up on your battlefield!
Are you facing a land full of giants?
Today, I’ve linked up with Crystal Stine for Behind the Scenes…
What a beautiful testimony of how to view life! And I love your little boy’s interpretation of the cross. Great post!
Visiting from Behind the Scenes today. Be blessed!
Thank you, Sarah!
Their child-like minds seem to “get it” so much easier than we do don’t they. I love thinking of the cross as my sword.
Yes. They understand so much because of their ability to look at the simplicity within the amazing grace the Father has designed for us.
Our kids sometimes point out the most obvious of spiritual truths to us, don’t they? Just last night I was telling my four-and-a-half year old son about the story of Adam and Eve and how they were tempted by the snake and committed the first sin. I told him that our sin was why we needed Jesus. Without missing a beat, he said, as a matter of factly, “We HAVE Jesus!” My eyes got teary and all I could say was, “Yes. Yes, we do.”
Stopping by from Behind the Scenes…
Love this reminder, friend, and your little boy’s perspective. Thank you for sharing! Happy Tuesday to you!
Thanks, Mel!
I LOVE that. I’m totally using that with my little man today.
Thanks, Marcy!
That’ll preach girl!
Thanks, Crystal!
Isn’t it amazing how a child’s perspective can have such an impact? Love it! Wonderful post.
-Heidi
Thank you, Heidi!
I cannot wait to show my kids the cross/sword! They will be crazy excited that I will let them draw on their hand and then they can go around and explain it to everyone! Love that! Thanks for the reminder to GO when Jesus calls!
My kids love when they have permission to draw on themselves! LOL The cross/sword is an important reminder for them and even more importantly, for us:). Thanks for reading!
Oh, those giants! We sometimes need our Pappa God to hold the sun like He did for Joshua with the Philistines until we have eliminated them completely! Boys will be boys! I don’t think a girl would have seen the sword!
Blessings from Crystal’s.
Mia
I think you are right. My daughter had the same thing drawn on her hand and it never occurred to her that it looked like a sword. LOL