When Fear Writes the Story

Date: Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Numbers 13 is one of those chapters that makes you want to reach into the text and shake someone. Twelve guys get sent on the same reconnaissance mission. They see the same land, the same grapes, the same giants. But ten of them come back writing a horror story while two are ready to write a victory song. Same data, completely different narratives.

Let’s be real: the ten weren’t lying. The cities were fortified. The people were huge. The Anakites probably could’ve benched pressed a Volkswagen. But here’s what they missed, and what we miss constantly: they factored in everything except God. They did the math without the most important variable in the equation.

Caleb and Joshua saw the same giants and basically said, “Yeah, and?!” They understood something the majority didn’t: the size of your obstacles means nothing compared to the size of your God. The ten spies were comparing themselves to the Anakites. The two faithful ones were comparing the Anakites to God. Completely different framework, completely different conclusion.

This is where the story gets painfully relevant. How many times do we scout out the promise God has given us; the calling, the dream, the next step of obedience, and then talk ourselves out of it because we’re too focused on what could go wrong? We become exactly what the text calls it: “grasshoppers in our own sight.” Self-fulfilling prophecy at its worst.

The tragedy of Numbers 13 is that an entire generation forfeited their inheritance because they let fear suggest their future. And here’s the kicker: God had already promised them the land. The outcome wasn’t in question. But their unbelief turned a short trip into a forty year death march through the wilderness. Fear didn’t just delay their destiny; it buried it.

Psalm 41 speaks to God’s deliverance of those who consider the poor and weak. In the context of Numbers 13, it’s a reminder that God doesn’t abandon those who feel like grasshoppers; He lifts them up. But you have to trust Him enough to move forward.

Devotional Prompts:

What “promised land” has God shown you that you’ve been too afraid to enter, and what giants are you letting define the narrative?
When have you let the majority opinion drown out what you knew God was saying, and what was the cost of that choice?
How do you distinguish between wise caution and unbelief (rooted in fear) when facing a big decision?
Who is the “Caleb” or “Joshua” in your life? Someone who reminds you who God is when you start focusing on the obstacles?

Prayer: God, forgive us for the times we’ve believed our fears more than Your promises. Give us eyes like Caleb and Joshua, who saw You bigger than any giant they faced. When the voices around us say “impossible,” let Your voice say “watch this!” We don’t want to die in a wilderness of our own making. Lead us into the fullness of what You’ve prepared, even when it scares us. Amen.