As we embark on the new year, we all have a choice–do we face it in fear or in faith? Do we wait to see how it all pans out before we find a sense of peace, or do we have peace knowing that God’s on our side whatever may come? Maybe you’re not facing a giant this week, but perhaps next week… or next month you’ll be faced with a trial that threatens to steal your joy and rob you of peace.
The 12 months ahead may be likened to the 12 spies that Moses sent out to explore the land of Canaan in Numbers Chapter 13. 12 men who saw giants, 12 men who saw large and fortified cities, 12 men who had a choice to make–would they face it in fear or in faith?
Numbers 13:23 tells us,
When they reached the Valley of Eshkol, they cut off a branch bearing a single cluster of grapes. Two of them carried it on a pole between them, along with some pomegranates and figs. (Numbers 13:23, NIV)
Do you see what I see in that verse? Do you see the significance of the grapes and the pole between two of the men? They weren’t walking alone in the valley, they were walking with Christ. They carried the symbolism of the cross, and His blood that was shed on that cross.
Faith in the cross is faith in the power of God. It’s faith in a God Who holds the power to lay down His life and take it back up again. This was key to their peace, as it’s also is key to our own.
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
Most of the men failed to see this. Instead of putting their faith in the power of God, ten of them foolishly chose to rely on the power of man.
Two of them, on the other hand looked forward with faith and anticipation. They believed in the power of God, and knew that with Him on their side, nothing could stand in their way.
The apostle John writes, “Greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”
Much like the twelve men in this story, we all have decisions to make when it comes to our future. We all have to decide if we’re walking in faith or walking in fear.
A road paved with possibility; a journey unknown… Will we face this new year with fear? Or, by faith in the power of God, will we face it with courage and hope?
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Tilling the Soil
Read the story of Moses and the 12 spies in Number Chapter 13.
Planting Hope
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV)
Darlene Schacht and her husband Michael live in Manitoba Canada where the summers are beautiful and the winters are cold. Together they’ve come to learn that relationships aren’t always easy, but that marriage, the way God intended it to be, is a treasure worth fighting for.
She began her publishing journey about twelve years ago when she pioneered one of the first online magazines for Christian women, known at the time as “Christian Women Online Magazine.” After three years, Darlene left CWO to blog as a solo author at Time-Warp Wife Ministries.
It was also during this transition that she worked alongside actress Candace Cameron Bure to write the NYT Best-Selling book, Reshaping it All: Motivation for Spiritual and Physical Fitness. Reshaping it All was the winner of both the 2011 USA Best Book Awards and the 2012 Christian Reading Retailers Choice Awards.
Author of more than 15 books, Darlene continues to write and to minister to her readers through her blog at TimeWarpWife.com.
Connect with Darlene:
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You are loved by an almighty God,
Darlene Schacht
The Time-Warp Wife