A Land That Swallows People Whole

Fear exaggerates the threat to your well-being and safety.

Insecurity magnifies the possibility of failure.

Worry paralyzes.

When Moses sent 12 leaders into the Promised Land to spy it out and bring back a report, all 12 received the same instructions. All 12 went to the same places. All 12 saw the exact same things.

Only 2 (Joshua and Caleb) brought back a good report.

The other 10 fixated on the challenges and brought back a negative report.

“We scouted the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole.” (Numbers 13.32 MSG)

Sounds a bit dramatic, doesn’t it? “It’s a land that swallows people whole.”

I believe there is a land that swallows people whole.

It’s not a physical place, but it is a place where people live: a place of fear, insecurity and worry.

And this place of fear, insecurity and worry consumes people…

It eats them for breakfast.

It makes them freeze up.

It kills progress.

It denies potential.

It declares: “You don’t have a chance!”

It causes people to think, “I shouldn’t even bother trying.”

The words of those 10 negative spies became like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

They ran from the challenge and they died without ever receiving what God had for them.

Their story serves as a cautionary tale for us.

We don’t have to live in a land that swallows people whole—a place of fear, insecurity and worry.

We can live in a place of confident trust, courage and faith in our God—who does the impossible.

We’re going somewhere! We’re moving forward, advancing, taking new ground—entering a new territory.
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And we have faith like Caleb, who said: “Let’s go! We can do this.”