The Reports of Spies

A Pregnancy Devotional

by Jennifer Vanderlaan

http://www.birthingnaturally.net/

Numbers 13:26 -14:11

I wonder what happened to the 10 spies who spread a bad report among the people. They had lived through the exodus. They had committed themselves to follow God's laws. They had seen God provide food and water in the dessert. They had lived through such miracles that their lack of faith in God seems unthinkable.


Somehow, they let their fears overtake their faith in God's sovereignty. They saw how large the people were, how numerous the people were, how powerful the people were and they gave up before they ever started. Somehow, they must have thought that these people were too powerful for God, or God wouldn't be with them anymore.


I remember reading a commentary by an archaeologist that explained in these ancient cultures, the belief was that gods had power only in their "part" of the world. So for the Israelites, it would only seem normal that a desert god like theirs would not have power in a lush and fruitful area like "The Promised Land." In effect, they let their understanding of what God can do be based on the cultural norms rather than on what God said.


We do the same thing with childbirth. Instead of understanding that with God's power we will be successful, we are overcome with fear from spies with bad reports. We believe that labor is too difficult. We believe that God is not strong enough to help us. We believe going into labor with God as our protection will get us destroyed.


Whose report do you believe? Whose report do you spread among the people?

This article challenges me in more than just our upcoming labor and birth. I confess that everything that awaits us in the coming months has been a source of fear and believing the "bad reports" in my mind. From the final weeks of pregnancy, to birth to the first weeks of life with a newborn, it all threatens to overwhelm me at times. I need to refocus my mind and heart moment by moment as I ask myself these questions.