Day 16

Joshua 15-17

WHAT IS GREATNESS?

You are a great people and have great power – Josh. 17:17

            Manasseh and Ephraim thought they were great.  They were big and strong, but they had enemies they couldn’t beat.  The giants in the valley were threatening and Manasseh could not drive them out.  The Canaanites scared off the Israelites by patrolling the valleys with their iron chariots flexing their superior strength.  The rank and file reasoned:  No chariots; no victory. 

God’s people made two strategic mistakes:  First, they underestimated their enemy.  The tribes of Canaan were determined to dwell in the land.  Israel showed no resolve to take on the enemy.  Without determination there will be no victory; there will be no fight.  Just leave the “giants” alone; maybe they’ll go away.  Giants don’t just go away.  They must be slain.  The only good giant is a dead giant.  Giants thrive in the environs of our fears and the dark regions of our denial.  Let’s admit it! There is not a giant in the valley we can vanquish on our own.  Here’s the good news.  Greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world (I Jn. 4:4). 

            This leads to Israel’s second mistake:  They saw greatness in themselves, not in their God.  Joshua said, If you are great…go up…and clear a place for yourselves.  Our own greatness undermines faith and eventually turns us all into cowards.  Joshua gave Israel a chance to prove their greatness by proving the greatness of their God.

            Israel was great, because their God was great.  They needed nothing besides their God to turn away their giants.  They failed at the point of faith.  Faith is a shield that protects us from the fiery darts of our enemy.  When under the shield we are safe.  We cannot lose behind the shield.  The one sure way to fall is get in front of your shield.

            Let’s show determination.  Let’s face down some giants.  Let’s move into enemy territory.  Drop the handshake, and face him down in the middle of the field.  Our God is great.  That’s all that counts.  Our greatness doesn’t count, because it isn’t worth the iron in a Canaanite chariot.

Let’s fall in behind our God.