Numbers 13:30 “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”
The story from the verse above is one that should encourage every believer about not having to be accepted by the majority. After the twelve spies returned from spying the Promised Land, two men were in the minority as to what they should do. The majority came back with an evil report. The majority said that they should get a new leader and go back to Egypt. It was the majority that depressed the people with their message of doom.
However, it was the minority that had a positive outlook on the perspective of conquering the land. It was the minority who believed God was about to do a great work. It was the minority whose courage has inspired many believers for centuries. It was the minority who changed the course of history and whose names we remember in admiration and honor. It was the minority, Caleb and Joshua, who got to see what the majority never saw, and it was the minority whom God used to lead Israel into the very Promised Land that the majority said could not happen.
It is never easy to be in the minority, but you will often find that those in the minority are those whom God uses to do great works. My friend, you will always be in the minority when you have a vision of faith. There are very few people who believe that God can still do a great work today, but He can do a great work. Don’t let the fear and criticisms of the faithless majority cause you to lose the belief that God can still do the great works of faith today.
Moreover, you will always be in the minority when you choose to be positive about God’s work. You are going to find that the majority of people will always see the negative about what is happening. If God is going to do a great work through you, you are going to have to find a way to keep a positive attitude in a world that has a negative outlook. It won’t be easy to stay positive about what God is about to do, but you must plug your ears to the negative and keep marching forward.
Furthermore, you will always be attacked when you are in the minority. It was the majority who wanted to pick up stones and kill Caleb and Joshua, but that didn’t stop the faith of these two great men. You will be a hated person if you are in the minority, but the contempt of being in the minority of faith puts you in the company of a powerful God.
Though it won’t be easy to be in the minority, let me encourage you with some advice. First, don’t lose your courage because of the vicious attacks of the majority. If God told you that He can do something, don’t let the attacks of the majority stop you from going forward towards your vision of faith. You are going to have to encourage yourself in the LORD and His promises to keep going forward towards your vision of faith in spite of the malicious attacks of the faithless majority.
Second, don’t stop going forward while the majority attacks you. Victory will come if you keep going forward. All that the worldly and faithless majority are trying to do is to get you to stop going forward so you can justify their backslidden state. You are going to have to train your ears to listen only to God’s voice to keep the courage to continue marching towards the victory that God has for you.
Allen Domelle | Pastor
Maranatha Baptist Church | Bethany, OK
https://www.attendmbc.org
