Agreeing With God’s Word to Strengthen Self Esteem

Number 14:9 – Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.

Context:
The 12 spies came back from surveying the land and brought back a discouraging report that while the land had an abundance of food (flowing with milk and honey), the people were strong, their cities were fortified and they had giants among them. They opined that they were like grasshoppers in their own sight as well as theirs. However, Caleb opined that they were well able to overcome them (13:30) while Joshua exhorted them not to fear them because they were their bread as their protection had departed from them since the Lord was with them (14:9).

Theological Truths:
While God had told them that He would give them the promised land, they still need to do their part to possess it. Victory did not mean that they will be given the land on a platter as they would be obstacles and hindrances. God did not expect them to overcome the obstacles and giants by their own military power but that they would have the courage to exercise faith in Him to fight for them. Our part is to exercise faith in God even we may not see the results in our time (Heb. 11:13, 39).

Psychological Implications:
Confidence is based on self-esteem. If we view ourselves as worthy, we will be able to speak and behave confidently. We may be intelligent and smart but still lack confidence because people have told us otherwise during our developmental years. Hence, it is important to believe in what God said about us in His word.