Dear Friends in Christ,
It does seem true that there are always at least two ways to look at things. For example, in the Press-Citizen
Sports Page there is occasionally an editorial in which the author speaks on various topics from two points of view:
Mr. Pessimist and Mr. Optimist. It just depends on how you look at it. There is the age-old question: "Is the glass
half full or half empty?" It depends on how you decide to look at it. By the way, there are some Hawkeye fans I
speak with once in a while who only know the "Mr. Optimist" lines! Rose Bowl here we come!
As it turns out, there were certainly two ways to look at the "scouting trip" into the Land of Canaan.
Reading Numbers 13, you find that one leader from each ancestral tribe was selected for this "spying mission."
These were top-flight people selected for this task--the best from each tribe. Their mission was to evaluate
everything--the people, the land, the towns (fortified or not?), the soil, the trees, and they were to bring back
"some of the fruit of the land." They spent 40 days exploring, and the cluster of grapes they brought back was
carried on a pole between two men.
There were 12 men who went on this mission. They seemed to be in agreement in reporting this: "The land
does flow with milk and honey. Just look at this fruit!" But ten of the men said: "But the people who live there are
powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large...We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we
are...All the people we saw there are of great size...We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked
the same to them."
Two men, Caleb and Joshua, looked at the situation differently. Here are Caleb's words: "We should go up
and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it."
Now something else needs to be said that is vitally important. When God delivered His instructions
regarding this mission, here are the words He used: "Send men to scout out the country of Canaan THAT I AM
GIVING TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL" (highlighting mine). These words were spoken to Moses. I am not sure
if they were passed on to the twelve spies. But the message is clear: "I am going to give you this land. Check it out.
Become familiar with it. Learn its strengths and weaknesses so that you can claim your gift."
Ten said: "No thanks; the challenge is too great." Two said: "Let's go for it!"
What is this saying to you and me? Are there gifts God has earmarked for us to which we are tempted to
say "No, the challenge is too great; I don't think we can handle it?" For example, what about the gift of being able
to share forgiveness with another person? Jesus has certainly made it clear that the gift of forgiveness is there for us
personally and for us to share with others (Colossians 3:13 - "Forgive as the Lord forgave you."). But it may be
easy for us to give a "negative report" on the idea--"Talking about my sin or another person's sin leading toward
forgiveness is just too intimidating, threatening and I think it will do damage to our relationship."
Is there another way of looking at it? Might it, in fact, help your relationship and draw you closer to each
other to honestly share the hurt and pain of sin and the joy and peace of forgiveness?
John 20:22-23 explains from where our power to do this comes: "Receive the Holy Spirit." Sharing the gift of
forgiveness is divinely empowered rather than merely humanly engineered.
Trust in God the Holy Spirit to help you! Enter the Promised Land of Forgiveness and your efforts will be
successful!
Grace and Peace to you and yours!
Pastor Tim Zimmermann
