D.L. Moody was an evangelist whom God used in a mighty way to shake two continents with the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Growing up, Moody faced many seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his life. Moody grew up in a fatherless home, was raised in very poor conditions, and lacked a complete education. However, one day, Moody was challenged by a man who said, “It remains to be seen what God will do with a man who gives himself up wholly to Him.” In spite of the obstacles he faced, Moody accepted the challenge by faith and gave himself wholly to the service of God! Because of his choice to walk by faith, God used D.L. Moody in a mighty way to reach many people with the Gospel!
In Numbers 13, we see a group of twelve spies who had been sent out to survey the land that God had already promised to the nation of Israel. God told the Israelites in Exodus 23:28 that He would “drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.” All they had to do was trust in the promise of God and take the land. This group of twelve spies searched out the land for forty days and brought back a report to Moses and the people of Israel. Tragically, however, just as they were on the verge of entering the land God has promised them, ten of the spies chose to focus on the obstacles that stood between them and the land rather than focusing on the promises of God. These spies chose to walk by sight and view the obstacles (strong people, walled cities, giants) of the land as insurmountable. Two of the spies, however, named Joshua and Caleb chose to walk by faith. Caleb said in his report to the people, “Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it” (v. 30). The ten spies saw the obstacles that stood in their way. The two spies saw God’s faithful ability to bring them into the land if they would simply trust in Him and obey.
In spite of what seemed to be insurmountable obstacles, D.L. Moody chose to see with the eye of faith what God could do with any man that was fully surrendered to Him. Similarly, Joshua and Caleb chose to see what God could do if they would simply trust in Him to keep His promises. As believers, we are called to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). When we get our eyes off God and forget His promises, difficulties and problems are quickly magnified in our sight. When unbelief fills our hearts, our eyes begin to focus on the “giants” around us, rather than the God who is with us. When we view life from God’s point of view, however, we are given the faith to overcome whatever obstacles are in our path. 1 John 4:4 reminds the believer in Christ that “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” When we walk by sight, we see giants. When we walk by faith, however, we are able to focus on our faithful and mighty God who enables us to live out the promises of God!
~Pastor Aaron Francis
