Earlier in the week I posted Part 1 of our discussion “Learning From Spies“.  If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so now, as this post is simply a continuation of it.

We left off in verse 31 of Numbers 13:

31But 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.” 32And 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. 33There 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.”

I cannot help but feel both perplexed by their statement, and at the same time find some alignment in what they are saying. If you rewind not to far, they have not only seen God come through in miraculous ways (need I mention parting an entire sea), but they were also promised this land by God.

How quickly did they forget the strength of their God?

The statement they made saying that the inhabitants of the land are stronger than they are…who cares?!?! They have the strength of God almighty on their side! They have a promise from the King of Kings that cannot be broken! Should that not be sufficient enough to storm the land? One would think – but we are all just as guilty of assessing our problems through our own lens verses God’s lens.

They said that they were grasshoppers in their own sight – that is how they saw themselves.  As grasshoppers. I can’t say I have ever felt like a grasshopper, but I do know there have been times in my life that I have felt insignificant, weak, and just plain incapable of accomplishing what was set before me.

And that, my friends, is exactly where we go wrong. That is where the slippery slope begins. This might be the most important truth you can take away from anything I write:

It doesn’t matter how you see yourself, it only matters how God sees you!

You might think of yourself as incapable, or awkward, or slow…but quite frankly, it does not matter. You don’t have the right to define you. Only God has that right. And He defines you as:

Perfect. Beautiful. Courageous. Loved. His Favorite. Fearfully Made. Wonderfully Made. Amazing. His Son/Daughter. A Warrior. Respected. Important.

The list goes on and on. If you have never felt those things from God before – then stop right now. Don’t even finish reading and listen to Him. Turn off the distractions around you and just tell Him you need to hear from Him. I promise, He will respond.

Only God has the perfect lens to view you through.

And if you don’t believe it, stop for a minute and think about how everything began. Genesis 1 says that we are made in the image and likeness of God.  I think we can agree that God is perfect. And if you are made in His image and His likeness…than you too are made in His perfection and splendor.

Question: When you see yourself as God sees you, can you describe the freedom it brings?

On Monday, we will have part 3 of Learning from Spies – so make sure and comeback then. Or if you would like, you can always subscribe to my blog and receive it via email!