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Giants and Grasshoppers from Refreshing Hope Ministries on Vimeo.

There are unseen forces all around us that we don't notice and may even take for granted. Consider gravity, without which we would drift off into space. You can't see it, though you interact with it all day. It holds your couch to the floor and your house to the ground. Although you cannot see the wind, it moves the trees, and if it becomes a hurricane, it may move your house.

There are electromagnetic forces and invisible radio waves that carry information, such as your cell phone, Wi-Fi connection, satellite TV, or car radio. The air we breathe, which our lives depend on, cannot even be seen. Yet, we often take it for granted because it has always been there.

Invisible forces surround us every day, and we give little thought to them. Why should we be surprised to learn there is an unseen spiritual realm around us with living beings? The Apostle Paul wrote it this way:

(Ephesians 6:12–13 NKJV) For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

We talk mostly about the Holy Spirit, but there are many others. You could call them "influencers." They pick at you, looking for a crack in your armor, for a weak moment. An invisible enemy that is completely unseen but sometimes heard and often felt. Our faith is invisible:

(Hebrews 11:1 NKJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

This verse basically means that the future and the unseen can be made real by faith - by believing. The impossible can become possible. The unseen can become seen. What was just a dream yesterday can become a reality today. Jesus said it this way:

(Mark 11:24 NKJV) Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Everything that you see around you, like your desk or the phone that you hold in your hand, is not actually solid. That is an illusion. Science has proven that tiny atoms that cannot even be seen by a microscope, are holding everything in the universe together. The stars, the planets, our cars, and our bodies exist through simple electromagnetic force.

Atoms cannot be created or destroyed. They are indestructible, but they can be rearranged. To me, atoms bear a striking resemblance to our solar system, with its planets revolving around the sun. It's the same pattern, the same design. Combine that with the idea that many scientists believe the materials that make up human bodies originally came from stardust. It all points to the same Designer who made the universe, the stars, and us.

What is impossible for the One who invented atoms and rearranges them into whatever He desires? Nothing. At God's word, the universe was created, and at His word, it could disintegrate. Given that, do you find it hard to believe that Jesus walked on water? I don't. How simple would it be for water molecules to rearrange into a solid surface at His command?

In the book of Matthew, Jesus healed two blind men:

(Matthew 9:27–30 NKJV) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him. And Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" They said to Him, "Yes, Lord." Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it be to you." And their eyes were opened.

Jesus asked the blind men, "Do you believe I can do this?" and waited for their answers. Think about that for a moment. What if He asks you, "Do you believe I can do this?" when you pray? They answered, "Yes, Lord." Then He told them, "According to your faith, let it be done to you."

This basically means "because you believe, your request is granted" and not in proportion to your faith, as in "you have this much faith, so you can have this much eyesight." If they believed at all, they got it all. Both men were completely healed. The question Jesus asked them is still the essence of our faith: "Do you believe I can do this?" Yes, Lord, we do, for nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37).

(Habakkuk 2:4) tells us that the just shall live by faith. We think too small, and too often, we don't believe that He can do this. We need to change that. Our faith produces hope, and our hope produces perseverance. Without faith, we will shrink back and say, "I cannot do this." There are examples for us of people who believed and some who did not:

* The centurion in (Matthew 8:1-13) had such great faith that his servant was healed from a distance.

* The woman with the issue of blood for 18 years in (Matthew 9:18–22) was instantly healed by her faith when she touched Jesus's robe.

* Yet, the disciples in the boat during a storm on the Sea of Galilee failed with "Lord, we perish!" and woke Jesus up to deal with it (Matthew 8:23–27).

* In Jesus' hometown of Nazareth, He was amazed at their lack of faith (Matthew 13:55–58).

We know that God is able and that He loves us, but do we believe that He can do this? Can He deal with what we are facing today? All the heroes in the Bible believed He could. That is why they are in the Bible; they believed. Oh, be sure there are so many who did not believe and are not in the book.

Consider what David told Goliath:

(1 Samuel 17:45–46 NASB) Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you."

The young David said, "I can do this," and then he went and did exactly what he said. That is the voice of faith. It is not "Lord, I perish!" but "I can do this!" Our faith pleases God. In fact, it is a requirement.

(Hebrews 11:6 NASB) And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.

Compare David's faith with the Israelite spies who came back from the Promised Land and brought a bad report of their chances. They whined, "We are like grasshoppers, and the people there are like giants!"

(Numbers 14:2–4 NASB) All the sons of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them, "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! "Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?" So they said to one another, "Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt."

Rather than cross the Jordan River in faith and take the Promised Land as God instructed them to do, those Israelites wanted to stone Moses, appoint another leader, and return to slavery in Egypt. To God, it was like dragging a stubborn mule into the Promised Land, kicking and balking all the way. Apparently, they did not have the "I can do this" attitude. God didn't appreciate it, and He told them this:

(Numbers 14:28 NASB) "Say to them, 'As I live,' says the LORD, 'just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you;

How would you like what comes out of your mouth to happen to immediately happen to you? He did it to them. They prophesied their own future. God loves us, yes indeed, but we are to love Him back. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments" (John 14:15).

Think of it this way: our own Promised Land is on the other side of a river named "You can't do this." God gives us an inspiration or a dream, and we begin to feel, "We can't do this." Like Gideon, He will expect us to stand our ground even though our enemies vastly outnumber us. That's His way, to use the one against the many. When we feel like grasshoppers and the dumbest person in the room, we are ready to be used by Him in a supernatural way. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. It's not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord (Zechariah 4:6).

So don't let fear hold you back from crossing over like it did the Israelites in the wilderness. Instead, be like young David. You can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).

When the Lord asks you, "Do you believe I can do this?"

You say, "Absolutely!" and get started.

You can pray this with me if you like:

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please help me see through the eyes of Faith. Yes, Lord, I absolutely believe that You can. There is nothing impossible for You, and I know that You are right here with me today, just as You have been throughout eternity. You can rearrange the atoms in the universe, and if God is for us, then who can be against us? Remember me today, Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.