Giants

God gave the Israelites the promised land - a land "flowing with milk & honey" - yet the land was full of enemies - giants - which had to be physically driven out before they could take possession of it. Why? Why promise something so great only to have it infested with enemies?

Relationships are based on trust. God is a relational being who deeply desires to share his divine nature with us - that was the plan from the beginning and it has never ceased being the plan. He wants co-laborers (2 Cor. 6:1), co-reigners (2 Tim. 2:12), co-heirs (Rom 8:17) and partakers of His divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). He wants friends. He wants powerful friends like Himself. "Let us create man in our image..."

When I was teaching my boys to ride their bikes, I would run behind them with my hand on the seat, holding the bike up as they rode along. They would always look back at me to make sure I was still there - to make sure I was still holding the bike up as they peddled along. Seeing me behind them gave them confidence. But after a while I would let go of the seat and just run behind them. Why? Because it's only after letting go that they could really learn to be a bike rider like me.

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." - Deut. 31:6

The reason why is to build our trust. He leaves giants in our path so we learn how to trust & perceive Him. Soon we start to learn that the giants in front of us are never bigger than the God in us. I think God chooses to use us to fight the enemy because He knows that victory is much sweeter when everyone has some skin in the game. What was true for the Israelites is true for us today. The only difference is that today there are no physical enemies to drive out, for "our battle is not against flesh and blood." The Promised Land was "a shadow of things to come" - a shadow of something much more real - something much more significant. And it's happening now. See, almost everything that happened in the Old Testament was a shadow of New Testament realities. Not a shadow of something that we are waiting for, but something that is happening now. The old interprets the new. If we're not careful we may miss it. 

"Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature." - 2 Peter 1:4