I want to share an insight the Holy Spirit gave me yesterday that I had not considered before. In Numbers 13 Moses sent 12 leaders to spy out the land of Canaan. Two had a good report, but ten had a bad report. Listen to what they presumed. Verse 33 says about the giants in the land, “…we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” They presumed to know what the giants were thinking. They were spies and likely the giants never saw them.

We never know what another is thinking unless they tell us. They jumped to conclusions. Based on what they assumed, they led the insurrection. Numbers 14:4 says, “…Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.” The ten spies set their own death sentence. Verse 32 says, “But as for you, your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness.”

In verse 42 Moses said, “Do not go up, lest you be defeated by your enemies, for the Lord is not among you.” In verse 44 it says, “But they presumed…” Presumption acts independent of God. Their pride was cloaked in an act of humility. They acknowledged their sin (humility) but did their own thing (pride).

David wrote Psalm 19. Did he speak from experience? Yes! Verse 13 is one of my daily prayers, “Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me…”

Numbers 15:30 says, “But the person who does anything presumptuously…that one brings reproach on the Lord…” The Amplified uses the words, “…do anything (wrong) willfully and openly…” Reproach means to revile or blaspheme.

Presumption is acting as if we know better than God. It is flesh. Humility acknowledges absolute dependence on God. It is a willingness to wait until He shows us His way through whatever situation we face. Let us purpose in our heart, like Daniel did, to honor Him in all our thoughts and actions.