When the people of Israel experienced freedom for the first time, they must have felt very insecure. Now there were options and opportunities--the porphetic prospect of possessing the Promised Land, Canaan. They were weak and afraid, not knowing the power of God within them. They lacked courage because in Egypt there had not been the opportunity to conquer.
So when God called the Children of Israel out of Egypt, it was for a dual purpose, not only to give them freedom, but also to make them a people of power and influence. In order to have power and influence, you must know who you are, who called you, and the backing and equipment that is available to you.
The Israelites had been wandering in the wilderness for some 30 years and had gone through some "stuff" by this time. They had overcome many obstacles and had within them a different spirit, one of strength and courage. As they neared the land of Moab, Balak the King, being afraid of the Israelites, asked Balaam the sorcerer to curse the children of Israel. Balaam said, “I cannot…the sound of the Lord is among them. The Lord their God is with them; the shout of the King is among them." (Numbers 23:21, NIV)
The time you spend with God and the difficulties or experiences you go through create a confidence or sound that comes out of you. People around you can sense it, and the enemy can recognize that it is the Lord. Next we see Israel having crossed the Jordan River, now facing Jericho, a city heavily fortified with impenetrable walls. The task ahead looks impossible; worse yet they are told to advance against this massive city with only trumpets! This seems ridiculous! How can trumpets defeat the enemy? What Israel didn’t know is that the sound of the Lord had gone before them. The people of Jericho had never spoken with Israel, never had any previous dealings with them, but they were afraid of what they had heard. The mighty men and the king were locked up inside the walls in fear. (Joshua 6:1)
We read the front page of USA Today, “The Incredible Shrinking Dollar” or “Why America May Be In Permanent Decline." In fear we pull back and hold on tightly to what we have. But as we grow and mature in God, the sound of the Lord in us becomes greater than the sound of the world we live in. We can step out in faith in spite of the circumstances we live in. Even more, the sound of the Lord in us creates favor with society, causing others to respond kindly to us and having events go our way. But, on the contrary, as the Scripture says, "What eye has not seen and ear has not heard and has not entered into the heart of man, [all that] God has prepared (made and keeps ready) for those who love Him [who hold Him in affectionate reverence, promptly obeying Him and gratefully recognizing the benefits He has bestowed]." (1 Corinthians 2:9,AMP) We may be living in a time of uncertainty and fear. But for the people of God our greatest times are ahead. We must keep our eyes focused on the Lord, stand firm, and follow His leading. As our heart is solidified in Him, the sounds on the outside will diminish so our hearts won’t fail us.
As we get through this time of economic downturn, we will begin to see great things for those who have triumphed over the enemies of doubt, despair, and personal insecurities. Daniel 11:32 says, “But the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them. They make the impossible happen.
Gene Strite is CEO of L&S Stone and a pioneer founder of World Harvest Outreach. Visit his website at www.whoc.org/
