I finished reading through the book of Numbers. One last thought from that book. In Numbers 32:9 it says that the ten spies who gave the bad report, “…discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, so that they did not go into the land which the Lord had given them.”

Discouragement is another key weapon that the enemy of our soul uses against us. He is determined that we will not fulfill God’s purpose for our lives. If you will remember, the children of Israel heard two reports.  

Numbers 13:30 says, “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” The ten spies immediately refuted his words.

Verse 31 says, “But 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.” Notice the two different focuses. Caleb was looking to God’s promise. The ten spies were looking to their own strength.

We are never a solo match against satan. John 15:5 is a constant reminder to me. It says, “…for without Me you can do nothing.” Yet there is another verse that should undergird our faith in every circumstance. Luke 1:37 says, “For with God nothing will be impossible.”

When we take our eyes off the Lord, we fall prey to the temptation to be overwhelmed and discouraged. David wrote Psalm 61. Read his words in verse 2, “…when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”