God Confidence

Numbers 13:3-15 New Living Translation Bible says, "So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He sent out twelve men, all tribal leaders of Israel, from their camp in the wilderness of Paran. These were the tribes and the names of their leaders:
Tribe        Leader
Reuben    Shammua son of Zaccur
Simeon    Shaphat son of Hori
Judah       Caleb son of Jephunneh
Issachar    Igal son of Joseph
Ephraim    Hoshea son of Nun
Benjamin   Palti son of Raphu
Zebulun    Gaddiel son of Sodi
Manasseh son of Joseph    Gaddi son of Susi
Dan        Ammiel son of Gemalli
Asher        Sethur son of Michael
Naphtali    Nahbi son of Vophsi
Gad        Geuel son of Maki

A Chinese proverb says, "To plug the ears while stealing the bell;" it means "to deceive oneself." It is a deception to believe that God favors people based on race, ethnicity or some physical characteristic. God is no respecter of persons. Benjamin Banneker, an African-American inventor, surveyor, mathematician and astronomer during a time when African-American slavery was legal in the United States, said, "The color of the skin is in no way connected with strength of the mind or intellectual powers." Romans 2:28-29 Complete Jewish Bible says, "For the real Jew is not merely Jewish outwardly: true circumcision is not only external and physical. On the contrary, the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal; so that his praise comes not from other people but from God."

Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi and Geuel were deceived. They believed in the inferiority of the Jews to the Canaanites. Numbers 13:31-33 Amplified Bible says, "But his fellow scouts said, We are not able to go up against the people [of Canaan], for they are stronger than we are. So they brought the Israelites an evil report of the land which they had scouted out, saying, The land through which we went to spy it out is a land that devours its inhabitants. And all the people that we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the Nephilim [or giants], the sons of Anak, who come from the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

The people of God are reyes y reinas (kings and queens.) Jesus Christ is El Rey de Reyes (The King of Kings.) While Jesus died for us when we were sinners, God doesn't view us as sinners anymore. When God looks at us, He sees Jesus Christ, the Sinless One, the Perfect One. Low self-esteem is a sin. Not doing what God tells us to do is a sin even if it seems impossible.

Jesus died a horrible death on a Friday more than 2,000, years ago and got up from the dead on a Sunday, not so we would live in fear, low self-esteem, hatred or without unity among believers.

The people of God are called to do greater things than Jesus Christ did in His earthly ministry. Jesus Christ says in John 14:11-12 Complete Jewish Bible, "Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father."

What are some trust issues you have seen in the Church?