Let's Get Smart!

Growing up in the late 60's and early 70's, one of my favorite TV shows was Get Smart, a comedy featuring a bumbling spy known as Maxwell Smart and his spy side-kick, Agent 99. Max is best known for the telephone hidden in the sole of his shoe. I guess one of the purposes of the show was to relieve some of the anxiety of that Cold War era.

Spies have always played an important role in history. Basically, they have fulfilled one of two roles - secretly getting the lay of the land, so to speak, or infiltrating the enemy to gather intelligence.

Moses sent in a group of spies to get a look at the Promised Land before they were allowed to go in and claim it. They needed to know what they were going up against. Moses chose a man from each of the twelve tribes, excluding the priestly tribe of Levi. The account of their mission is found in Numbers 13-14.

The spies spent 40 days surveying the entire land and even brought back some of the bountiful fruit they found. They reported that the fruit was only a sample, that the land "certainly does flow with milk and honey..." In other words, it was all that had been promised and more! But here's the kicker. Nine of the eleven said, "Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there." (The descendants of Anak were a race of abnormally large people - giants like Goliath.) They went on to say, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us...we will be devoured..."

Now, this is the land that God promised Abraham generations before. And He said He would give them the land flowing with milk and honey. So, something is not adding up!

Well, there were two of the spies who did not agree with the other nine. Caleb and Joshua. In Numbers 14, all of the people of Israel began grumbling and complaining to and against Moses and Aaron, and even saying they were better off in Egyptian captivity. In the midst of that chaos and their fear, those two men stood up and pleaded with the people to remember the promises of God and the many provisions He had accomplished for them. They said, "If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us...only do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey."

On one side, we hear the nine voices of fear, and on the other side, we hear the two voices of faith.

Isn't it the same for us today? We sense where God is leading us, what He wants us to do, who He wants us to share Jesus with, but we are conflicted by the voices of fear and the voices of faith. And many times, just like in the account of the Israelites, the voices of fear seem to out number those of faith, and fear is a human reaction that is fanned by peer pressure.

From the Bank of the Jordan River to the Jungles of the South Pacific...

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or dismayed. For I, the Lord your God, am with you wherever you go. – Joshua 1:9

One of my favorite parts of American History is WW II.  Because my dad fought in that war as a young man, WW II has always been part of the fabric of my family’s life. My parents were already engaged when Pearl Harbor was bombed on December 7, 1941, and my dad was drafted soon after. They moved their wedding up to December 21, he was inducted into the army on February 3, 1942, and he was discharged on August 13, 1945 – a changed man. My dad was like so many vets who don’t talk about their war experiences, so I know only snippets of what he went through during his time in the Pacific.



My Dad - Part of the Greatest Generation

I know that he was trained in reconnaissance, which meant that he and two or three other guys would scout through the jungle looking for the enemy before the main group of his fellow soldiers would step foot in the bush. I know that at least one time, he and his buddies got close enough to the enemy that they were fired upon and my dad heard a bullet whiz past his ear.  I know that my dad was scared to death – he told me so! I also know that he continued on his mission because that was his orders – he told me that, too!

I know that his body was racked with malaria and that he wrestled with tremendous anxiety – both of which affected him the rest of his life.  I know that through most of that he stayed with his troop and battled the enemy as if his life depended on it – because it did. I know that in the midst of his fear and anxiety he sought refuge and strength from his Lord and the Word, which he carried in his pocket – as if his life depended on it – because it did.

I know that even though he returned in a weakened state, his experiences in the South Pacific made him a stronger man. I know that because of his walk with Jesus Christ – I saw it every day.

When we are faced with “war” – in whatever form it may take – what are we to do? The Lord told Joshua, and we are to follow those same orders.

·         Be strong and courageous! That’s so easy to say, but so difficult to do. Sometimes I am just plain afraid of what’s going on around me, and especially afraid of the “what if’s?” If my dad were alive today, he would tell you as he told us that he was more afraid to sneak into that jungle than anything else he ever did in his life. I can’t even imagine the fear that would grip me! He would also tell you that the only way he was able to carry out his orders was to depend on God for strength and courage.

o   Psalm 27:1 – “The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life. Whom shall I dread?”

o   Psalm 46:1 – “God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble.”

o   Psalm 138:3 – “I called – You answered. You made me bold with strength in my soul.”

·         Do not be afraid or dismayed (discouraged)! Fear cripples faith and leads to discouragement and/or depression. Believers are never alone; God is always present with us and in us. My dad told me about how he “felt” the presence of His Savior as he tramped through the jungle and as he laid in sick bay shaking with fever. He never felt alone – because he never was.

o   John 14:16-17 – “…He will give you a Helper who will be with you forever, that is the Spirit of Truth…He abides with you and will be in you.”

o   Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.”

o   1 John 4:18 – “…perfect love casts out fear…”

Two more things stand out to me in the story of Joshua and his army taking the city of Jericho.

·         God prepared the way – they just had to follow Him. Joshua was given specific instructions about the taking of Jericho. Before they could take it, they had to cross the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. The odd thing is that He didn’t part the river until the priests stepped into the water! It would not take as much faith to walk into a dry riverbed, but to step into a flooded, rushing river – well, that calls for a different level of faith.

·         The victory was already won – it was theirs for the taking. Before the battle, God sent the captain of the host of the Lord to give Joshua his orders. In that conversation, “The Lord said to Joshua, ‘See, I have given Jericho into your hands, with its kings and the valiant warriors.’ “ 6:2 No wonder they didn’t need to be afraid. God had gone before them and was with them and had secured the victory. Joshua and his army just had to obey orders.

All of us face our Jordan Rivers from time to time. It may be in the form of illness, loss of a loved one, marital or family issues, financial crisis, loneliness, depression, enemies on the battle field, and the list goes on…We are to face these battles like Joshua – as a mighty warrior ready to step into the river and watch God work. He will – just as he did for Joshua and just as He did for my dad in the jungles of the South Pacific.

I am so proud of my dad and the man he became – a member of the Greatest Generation. I want that same strength and courage that he called on when facing his enemies. Today, I resolve to step into my Jordan Rivers and see what great and mighty things my God will do!