“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we certainly can do it.'”
Numbers 13:30
The leadership of Israel was divided when ten of the twelve spies took their eyes off the promises of God and instead, looked at their circumstances. Their negativity soon spread like a plague affecting a big proportion of the people. God rapidly intervened by bringing judgment on every wicked leader and by removing all those in leadership who had allowed the people to get into this state. Joshua and Caleb who had a different spirit, which is the spirit of faith and of conquest, received the promise to inherit the Promised Land. Consequently, God raised them up higher within the leadership.
Thoughts of failure have the sole purpose of destroying you by removing your faith and hope, so that you don’t have courage in facing the challenges that lie ahead. The ten spies allowed their minds to get clouded with thoughts of failure when they said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are” (Numbers 13:31). However, the thoughts of God always lead to a positive outcome. The author of Proverbs said, “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty” (Proverbs 21:5). A person who thinks diligently never gets fixated on failure, rather he always focuses on success. They know that if God is with them, all things can be conquered and that one person with the Lord is always in the majority.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
“In July of 2001, I began to experience a series of strange symptoms. As the days passed they increased to the point where they became unbearable. Due to the intense pain I had in my back I could not find a single comfortable position. I even had trouble sleeping, resting, and working. This made me consult various doctors. After a few checks they diagnosed me with lumbago, a chronic lumbar disorder. The doctors ordered a surgical intervention.
In my spinal column they found a tumor that was pressing on the nerve endings of the seventh vertebrae. After exhaustive tests, the doctors diagnosed me with a possible aggressive, malignant cancer. Immediately, they recommended a series of radiotherapy sessions while they were waiting for the final pathology results. I never stopped trusting in the Lord and His perfect will in spite of a long list of symptoms that included: weight loss (about 22 lbs. or 10 kg in 3 days), the transparent yellow-green color of my skin, a physical inability to move, the near total loss of sensation in my lower extremities, the cries and gestures of empathy and compassion of the people who came and visited me, and even the limited expectations and hope of the medical experts. For my part, I remembered and reminded myself of every one of the scriptures that God had given me months ago and I took hold of them. The pastors’ prayers, my faith in God, the financial covenant for my healing, and my commitment to serve the Lord if He were to heal me all became the driving force to receive a great miracle of healing in my life. The second to last NMR findings showed that the tumor had shrunk considerably in size and was not now affecting the spinal cord. They removed the last growth a few years ago. According to the doctors, even though the remnants of the injury were present it appeared as if it had been removed completely. God blesses those who do not shrink back from His promise in spite of the circumstances.” (Oswaldo Pabon)
TODAY’S DECLARATION
“The promises of God in His Word has taken control of my life after I have shut out the voice of negativity.”
Today’s post is an excerpt from Pastor Cesar Castellanos’ book, Declarations of Power for 365 Days of the Year: Volume Two.
TODAY’S BIBLE READING
Our Bible Reading Plan gives 25 daily readings per month. There is no scheduled reading for today. You can use this time to catch up on any readings you may have missed, or read through previous passages again.
