07/20/2026
Today, I sat down to continue my study through the book of Joshua.
As I neared the end of chapter 11, I noticed that Israel’s final major battle was against the descendants of Anak (the Anakim).
These were the very same people that, more than 40 years earlier, caused 10 of the 12 spies sent by Moses, to return with a report of fear:“We cannot go up against them! They are stronger than we are.” (Numbers 13:31)
But the other two spies (Joshua + Caleb) saw the same giants through a different lens. They shouted:
“Let us go up at once to take the land! We can certainly conquer it!” (Numbers 13:30)
That moment would mark Israel’s history forever.
God’s people chose the fear of what they could see over faith in the God who had already promised them victory. As a result, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years as a consequence of their unbelief.
As the new generation began taking hold of the promise, I forgot that the descendants of Anak would still be in the land!
More than 40 years later, Joshua and the armies of Israel stood face to face with the very giants that had once caused a generation of promise to become a generation of unbelief. But this time, Israel had learned to trust God more than what they saw with their natural eyes.
The giants they saw did not change…
But they had.
If, 40 years from now, I find myself standing face to face with the very giants that once kept me from trusting God’s promises, I want to make the decision today to let God do His work in me. I want my faith to be so firmly rooted in Him that I won’t hesitate to walk in the victory He has already promised and provided.
