(Numbers 13:33) We are like grasshoppers.

After being delivered from Egypt by the power of God, Israel was now on a wilderness journey to the promised land. When they got close to the Promised Land, Moses sent out 12 Israeli leaders (one from each of the 12 tribes) to go spy out the land for 40 days; two of these leaders were Joshua and Caleb.

When the 12 leaders returned, they gave a report to Moses and the people of Israel. Ten of the leaders gave this very pessimistic and hopeless report: “The land is filled with giants living in large fortified cities, we are like grasshoppers compared to them.” These ten leaders declared that Israel should not go into the Promised Land, but Israel should turn around and go back to Egypt. They lost faith in the promises of God, and his ability to fulfill them. Joshua and Caleb (2 of the 12), however, rejected this faithless report of the other ten leaders. They declared that Israel should go into the Promised Land, for God would fight for them and give them victory, just like he did in Egypt.

ALL CHRISTIANS face obstacles, barriers, and opposition in their lives, but not all Christians see or approach them in the same way. Some Christians are like the ten Israeli leaders, who see life’s obstacles as huge giants, and see themselves like small grasshoppers. Their life’s obstacles are impossible to overcome. They are hopeless. Their faith is paralyzed. And so, they remain stuck in their life’s circumstances.

Other Christians are like Joshua and Caleb, who do not deny their giant obstacles, but put their faith in God Almighty for the victory. They know they can’t defeat their life’s giants in their own strength but they put their faith in God—for it is not by human might or power, but our victories are by the active power of the Spirit of God (Zechariah 4:6).

I am not promoting presumptuous and unwise faith. I am not promoting a false faith of name it and claim it. I am emphasizing that, as Christians, we can see and approach our giant life obstacles in two ways.

One way of approaching our life’s giants—obstacles that seem impossible to overcome—is through our own strength, which will only result in fear and failure. This is a false view of faith, when we put our eyes on our own abilities.

The second way of actively confronting our life’s giants is by putting our trust in God, who fights for us. We focus on God, not ourselves. This is biblical faith.

How do you face the giant obstacles in your life? Are you like Joshua and Caleb, or are you like the fearful ten leaders? Remember, we serve a God who divided the Red Sea.