A SPECIAL TREASURE

In Numbers 13 and 14, we see that Israel had sent twelve spies to search out the Promised Land. When these spies returned after forty days, they planted three lies in the hearts of God's people:

1. "There are too many people in the land — and they're too strong for us." 
2. "The cities are walled too high. The strongholds are impregnable." 
3. "There are giants in the land and we are no match for them. We are helpless, finished!" 

These lies took the heart right out of Israel and the people endured a night of despair: "And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night" (Numbers 14:1). Can you imagine this scene? Think of what it must have sounded like. More than 2 million people were weeping, wailing, moaning, focusing completely on their weaknesses and inabilities. Those wailing sounds of unbelief bombarded heaven.

Beloved, take a good, hard look at that scene and you may see yourself in the midst of it. Have you ever spent a night like that one, wailing and moaning because of demonic lies that were planted in your spirit? You may have cried out to God, "I've had it — I can't take any more. This trial is too much. These strongholds in me will never come down. I'll never make it. I've lost the battle."

The devil throws these same three lies at all of God's people: "Your temptations are too numerous. Your lusts are too overwhelming. You are too weak to resist the powers coming against you."

The word that God spoke to Israel is for us today: "Ye shall be a peculiar [special] treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine" (Exodus 19:5).

"For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar [precious, special] people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth" (Deuteronomy 14:2).