Contemplative Bible Reading

Numbers 13:31 (New Living Translation)

31 But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!”

This is part of the (hi)story of the people entering the land God promised them. Scouts surveyed the land and reported back to Moses and the people. Above is what most of the scouts reported. The people in the land were stronger than God’s people. God’s people didn’t have a chance against them.

That was a correct report.

Everything in the land was of advantage to the occupants. They had lived there for generations. They knew the territory and how to defend it. They had interior lines of logistics. They had defensible cities. They were rested, not having traveled through the desert. They had greater numbers, greater industry, greater everything.

The majority of the scouts gave a correct report.

The majority of the scouts, however, lacked faith in God. A couple of the scouts told the people that Jehovah God was with them. The people of the land could not defeat Jehovah God. Those two scouts had faith. Combining facts and faith produced a second report that was also correct.

Facts versus faith. Gosh, do we have to choose? I don’t think so. The example was facts and faith gave the more correct (correcter?) answer.

Odd thing about faith. I can believe that something will happen when I cannot see any reason why it should. But then again, I can see reason. I can look at history and see many examples of how faith prevailed. Hence, I always have facts to combine with faith. But then again, I don’t.

This can be confusing. Faith and facts. God didn’t create fools, but God created faith as well as facts. Yes, this can be confusing. God, help me in my unbelief.