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He
was just a little boy, about six years old. He hadn’t received many
breaks in life. His mother ran away from home as a teen and found drugs.
After ten years she suddenly appeared home again, presenting her parents
with a grandson they never knew they had. While his mother continued her
dysfunctional lifestyle, his grandparents tried their best to give him
stability and guidance. They took him to church but he was disruptive
and restless. He was the type of little boy that one would expect to
full of hopelessness and anger.
A
couple of weeks ago the wife of a pastor friend of mine was teaching the
children about the twelve spies that Moses sent to check out the Promise
Land. The Israelites left Egypt and crossed through the Red Sea. Moses
wanted to know if the land was fertile and if the cities were well
fortified. All twelve spies gave a good report of the land, but ten of
them were so distressed by the military strength of the cities that they
began to persuade the people that it was impossible to enter the land.
Only Joshua and Caleb had enough faith in God to believe that they could
occupy what God had promised them. Sadly, the Israelites accepted the
pessimism of the ten fearful spies and ended missing out on God’s good
plans for them.
To
illustrate her story, the teacher selected twelve children to be spies.
Ten of them cried out, “No we can’t” while the other two declared, “Yes
we can.” Then she told all the other children that they were the
Israelites and that they should yell out “No we can’t” just like the ten
doubting spies.
In
that moment, something clicked in the mind of the little boy. Instead of
joining the jeers of negative thoughts, this little boy who had so
little going for him spoke up in a loud and authoritative voice, “No. I
am an Israelite and I say yes we can!”
Quickly the other children joined him. At the top of their lungs they
began to dance around and scream, “Yes we can! Yes we can!” The teacher
thought that her lesson had been ruined, but instead she had taught them
a deeper truth. When God calls us the world often says “No you can’t."
We may be tempted to think that the task is too difficult, the resources
are too small, or the time is too short. But if we are following God’s
plan we need to remember that the Bible tells us “You, dear children,
are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is
greater than the one who is in the world.” (1st John 4:4). Or as Saint
Paul wrote, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
If
it is of God, instead of doubting we can do it we should shout out with
the little boy, “I am a follower of Jesus Christ and I say yes I can!”
Too many people give up short of what God wants to do in their lives.
Whether it’s getting out of debt, breaking an addiction, moving beyond
bitterness or repairing a marriage, the first step is to really believe
that God can give the victory. Those who cannot see hope rarely rise
above the unfairness of life. Complaining and being angry only keeps a
person trapped in the very mess they are upset about.
What
would you really like to do this year? What could you do that you think
would be pleasing to God? Finish your education? Lose some weight? Make
amends with a family member? Start saving toward some noble goal? Get
involved in your child’s school and make a difference? Influence someone
to try God’s way? Whatever it is, Satan will try to convince you that
life has been too unfair, that you are too needy, or that it’s just
impossible. It’s time to look Satan in the eye and tell him to get lost.
It’s time to yell out to our most pessimistic friends and family
members, “I am a follower of Jesus Christ, the King of the Universe, and
I say YES I CAN!”
Paul Jetter, Upper Valley Community Church |
