There were twelve of them. They were sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. They were gone forty days. The land was truly fruitful as God promised, but they saw some giants. Ten of the twelve reported to the people the giants viewed them as grasshoppers before them and they even viewed themselves as grasshoppers in their own sight.
The ten spies had the traditional fears with "in the box" thinking of, they are bigger and stronger. Even though God promised them the land, their fear was larger than believing God. Joshua and Caleb did not identify with these thoughts and were ready to go, possess the land, and defeat any of its inhabitants, because God said He would be with them.
Results of in the box thinking, ruled by traditional fears, were to those who complained, twenty years old and above, would die in the wilderness wandering of forty years. Only Joshua, Caleb, and those under twenty years of age would go to the promised land, but they to had to wander forty years with their fathers.
This is an example of herd mentality. They had previously seen God's miracles in their deliverance from Egypt, but their fears overcame their belief and trust in God. These ten men swayed the others to do the same.
Now moving forward many years, we see God's people dealing with a giant named Goliath. Did their ancestors instill in them the same fearful thoughts of facing giants as they had? You know after causing their children the hardships of wandering in the wilderness, they had to picture the giants as large and ferocious. They had to come up with some excuse for their cowardliness and not trusting in God. Was this told from generation to generation implanting this fear in their subconscious minds?
Now we come to a point in time, where the descendants of those in Numbers chapter 13 are facing one giant, Goliath. We can again see the same fear. In 1 Samuel chapter 17, we can read of the retreating of God's armies as those in Numbers 13.
When Goliath approached them morning and evening for forty days, king Saul and all Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid. When they heard him they fled. Their "in the box" thinking was to fear all giants.
However, there was one among them, who was to show them, with God, you can erase those traditional thoughts of fear.
The young shepherd boy, David, was about to teach them a lesson, and us, of "out of the box" thinking. He had developed "God confidence" and not self confidence. Being alone with God and those few sheep in the wilderness, had made him into a man after God's own heart.
David's mission was to bring supplies to his brothers that day. He didn't come to face a giant, but he had already let God prepare him for any task, large or small.
David immediately identifies his "cause" with this question, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine , that should defy the armies of the living God?".
He is now faced with a barrage of traditional "in the box" thinking.
First, his older brother, Eliab, accuses him of being prideful and disrespectful. He also tries to humiliate him by referencing he is only a shepherd boy, overseeing a few sheep, and who does he think he is by coming and questioning the armies of God.
Secondly, King Saul tells him, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth".
Finally, Saul clothed him with his armor and put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail and fastened his sword to his armor. This was the best weaponry of the times.
Let me summarize this traditional "in the box" thinking.
1. You cannot question others more experienced, when you have less "status" in life than they. That is powerful and keeps many today from doing the purpose God created them to do. I believe this is the first, most powerful, resistance we have in overcoming the traditional "in the box" thinking. If we don't overcome this one, the others following will never test us.
2. You do not have the experience. You are too young. You cannot do what others have been doing since their youth and are now older being well experienced in what they do. If you can even make it to this number two line of thought, this one has a very large success rate of sending those who try back to their old pattern of thought.
3. You do not have the specialized equipment for the task at hand. This is strike three. This presents the final road block between you and following your impossible dream, of doing your best with the talent God has given you. This delays the work on your dreams, and for many, I mean very many, buries their dreams in the grave with them, never to influence or to help those left behind.
David had "an out of the box, God confident, thinking". This thinking led him to do many, above average, activities. How could he have this and none of the other men of Israel have it? Their thinking was based on man made thoughts and David's allowed his thoughts to be formed by thinking God's thoughts.
David believed in God by seeing His glory in creation every day. He valued God's word and God's commandments as to be more desired than fine gold and sweeter than honey. And David wanted to be pleasing to his God. Please reread Psalm 19.
David's faith and trust in God was seen by the Philistines and all Israel. The influence of this faith, manifested by killing Goliath, caused the armies of God, who once fled from the enemy, to actively pursue the enemy.
David thinking "out of the box", was needed to show God's glory at a time when the enemies could see it and all of Israel.
Has our traditional "in the box" thinking today, limited our service to God and spreading the Gospel? We can't put God in a box and we must break out of the box of thinking as the world thinks.
I hope you can think outside the box to do great things for God and not have any regrets buried with you.
Thank you so much for reading. Please share with others on Facebook or send me your thoughts at rhepler52@gmail.com.
Also, if you haven't read my book, please go to: http://amzn.to/1Mi2AXW to purchase.
Please do not let the wrong "in the box thinking" keep you from serving and loving God.
Thank you.
Rick Hepler
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