Why the Promised Land Comes with a Fight
(I shared this message with the small group I attend, and I thought it would be nice to share with you, too.)
Pexels.com by Alexey Demidov. Person Standing on Brown Grass Field
You can almost see it ahead. The Promised Land. The land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8). A land of fruitfulness and prosperity. A place with valleys and hills that drink rain from heaven and are richly watered by God (Deuteronomy 8:7-10). It's in full bloom, vibrant with beauty and color.
So, you make your way across the Jordan River. Your feet finally step onto the rich, life-giving soil. You look up, and there you see...giants. Wait, God, this is what promise looks like?
The Giant Standing Between You and Your Breakthrough
In my own life, I felt like I was standing in that same moment. Earlier this year, the Lord began speaking to me about my nine-year journey in the wilderness coming to an end. Yes, when I was born again on September 15, 2016, I was saved out of Egypt—from darkness to light. Like the children of Israel, that began my journey through the wilderness, relying on God's provision and guidance. Now I was preparing to cross into the Promised Land. I was excited and truly hopeful that my lack would become abundance, my mourning would turn into joy (Psalm 30:11), my longing would be met with satisfaction, and my striving would give way to fruitfulness.
But as I crossed over–much like the Israelites–I encountered my first giant.
Let's call this first giant the oppressor. It wasn't abstract. It was a real injustice, a long-standing situation involving someone I've had to navigate for years. To win this battle, I had to speak out against it with truth and take action. I used to keep the peace by staying quiet, by appeasing the oppressor because I was scared of what would happen if I didn't. But this time, even though I trembled, I made my first move. I laid a stake in the ground and took possession of the land.
The Border Between Safe and Whole
But wait...there are more giants ahead. The thing is, getting out of the wilderness didn't feel peaceful at all. It felt like war. Will I choose to stay on the border between the wilderness and the Promised Land? Or will I retreat, convinced the wilderness is safer?
The Bible tells us that twelve spies went into the land, but only Joshua and Caleb believed God could give them victory. The other ten saw giants and felt like grasshoppers in comparison. Out of fear, an entire generation turned back.
When they finally entered the Promised Land, the Israelites conquered it gradually. But they didn't drive out all the nations as God commanded, and some enemies remained to live among them.
The Giants Living Inside You
So, what does that mean for us?
In our lives, we each come to a place where we must make a choice: Do we face our fears, our grief, our trauma, our rage, our sin, and our enemies head-on, with God promising us victory? Or do we chicken out, stay small, and settle for a dry but seemingly safe life of wandering in the wilderness?
Not every giant is external. Some giants stand in front of us. But others live deep inside–old beliefs, unhealed wounds, or patterns we clung to just to survive. Those are the ones that feel like part of us. Maybe it's the voice that whispers, "you're not enough," when opportunity knocks. Or the pattern of sabotaging good things because deep down, you don't believe you deserve them. But God, in His mercy, puts His finger on them and doesn't shame us but heals us and makes us whole.
When Freedom Feels More Dangerous Than Captivity
Staying in the wilderness can be compared to living in survival mode, clinging to the old coping mechanisms we learned long ago, often in childhood, to avoid pain, discomfort, or fear. But now, as adults—saved by Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and deeply loved by God the Father—He tells us there's more (Romans 8:14-17; John 10:10).
But even when it feels impossible, I remember this: I'm not walking into these battles alone. I see Him on the other side of the Jordan, calling my name, reaching out His hand, and going before me to lead me to each giant He's asking me to conquer. And his "battle plan" usually makes no sense at all, like telling Joshua to march around Jericho once a day for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day (Joshua 6:3-4), or like David taking down a giant with just a stone (1 Samuel 17:49).
It was never about having the perfect strategy. It's always been about trusting the God who fights for us. He says, "Go," and when we do—even scared, even shaking—He shows up (Deuteronomy 20:4; Romans 8:37).
And the best news of all? Jesus has already gone ahead of us. He faced the greatest giant—sin and death—and won. Now He stands in the land of promise, not just calling us in, but walking with us, fighting for us, and living in us. We don't face our battles alone. We follow a risen Savior who has already overcome.
It's Time to Cross Over
So now I ask you: What giants is God asking you to face today?
Where are you staying in survival mode because it feels safer?
What would it look like to surrender the parts of your heart you've been too afraid to face?
Maybe it's not about big moves, but small yeses—like making a phone call, setting a boundary, or getting back up to pray again. Saying, "Here I am, Lord. I'm scared, but I trust You. Just say go." Because staying in the wilderness? To me, that would be more painful than facing the fear.
And when we do, He'll be faithful. The victory is already His. And that honey? It's not a maybe. It's coming. And it will be ever so sweet.
May we be like Joshua and Caleb: anchored not in what we see, but in what God has promised.
