Lisa Great

In the book of Numbers there is story about Moses sending out 12 spies, one from each of the tribes of Israel to see what the land God is sending them into looks like. These spies were to come back and report what they saw as they searched the land. Here is what Moses instructed them to do according to Numbers 13:17-20, “See what the land is like and see whether the people who live there are strong or weak, few or many. What kind of land do they live in? Is it good or bad? What kind of towns do they live in? Are they unwalled or fortified? How is the soil? Is it fertile or poor?” Moses was seeking a detailed report of what they saw as they spied out the land God was giving them. 

The Lord has sent out spies across America, He has instructed us to search the land and to bring back a report to the people of God. What kind of land do we have? What kind of country is America? What do you see? What are you hearing? What report do you have about the land, we call America? Whether people were professionally or publically commissioned to do this or if it was just in their heart to pay attention to America through the news, travel, other people’s experiences or what they are hearing in the Spirit, God has sent out spies into the land. And now they are returning in droves with their report about what they saw. When the spies return, there is a separation of the spies. 
In the book of Numbers 13, the bible says that 10 of the 12 spies came back with a bad report. That means the majority of people that went to spy out the land came back with a report that was negative based on what they saw in the natural. Many people are speaking about what they see in the natural and the report they are bringing back about America is negative. They proclaiming judgment, destruction, and a variety of other negative reports about this land we call America. Even people from other nations that hear about the decisions our nation makes are speaking one of two reports. But remember, the majority came back with a bad report and those who did were not allowed to enter the promised land. God does not like negative reports, no matter how factual they may seem to the person bringing it. 
The spies are being separated right now, they are proclaiming out of their mouth what is in their heart and for the majority it is negative. But God, see something different for this nation. God sees the covenant that was made by the founding fathers, God sees who He created this nation to be, God sees the people in this land and the fruit of this land as a good thing, God sees America through the eyes of the minority that are speaking life, speaking blessing, speaking restoration, speaking the Truth as God sees it over this land. Isaiah 53:1 says, “Whose report have you believed?” The answer to this question will be critical in the very near future. 
The spies have been separated, 10 have brought back a bad report, which produced fear in the people of God and 2, who are said to be of a different spirit, brought back a good report and they are the ones that get to lead the people of God into the promised land. It has been said many times that there is no promotion without a test. Well the test we just went through was the spy report test. I know many did not know they were taking a test, but the tests God gives us is to reveal what is in our hearts, so we can either make excuses or make adjustments once we see what is in our hearts. The test has been completed because the reports have come in and even though the majority speak things that produce fear, there are a few who say we can take this land. Whose report are you going to believe? I am going to believe the report of the Lord. We can take this land, it is a land flowing with milk and honey!

When I first got married my husband would tell me I lacked patience. I did not know what he was talking about, I was passionate, zealous and honestly in a hurry. Possibly the greatest lesson I have learned to date being married is the need for patience. I thought I was patient, I mean it is one of the fruits of the spirit, so it is a requirement for me to be patient. But the truth was, I was not patient, I prayed for patience, but then I was still in a hurry. Impatience is one of the hallmarks of the church today. We get a prophetic word and we want it fulfilled right now; we give our tithes and offerings and we believe we should see 30-60-100 fold return this week. We don’t wait well as believers and I was and can still be guilty as charged.

The Lord is working with us more corporately than many of us realize, because we are so individualistic in our desires, but corporately I believe we are seeing two major themes playing out. One is God is teaching His people patience, for He is God and we are not, so no matter how much we beg, decree, quote and cry, we will not get what He promised us, until He wants to give it to us. Our promise, revival, awakening, whatever it is we want is not stuck in the second heaven as noted in the book of Daniel, it is deliberately being held back by God. But why would the Lord make us wait, because there is a bigger picture going on that we could not see if we were not waiting.

As believers we say, God, we want you to get all the glory! Then we turn around and say, why is this taking so long, where is the manifestation of the promise, and we get disappointed, mad and even want to quit thinking it will never happen. But remember we said, God, we want you to get all the glory! May I suggest He is getting more glory in our waiting than He is going to get in the manifestation of the promise. You see when the promise is manifested we get to share in the glory, for we get to lay hands on the sick and see them recover, we get to access supernatural finances to advance the kingdom. God loves to partner with His people, He is not insecure about sharing His glory with us, that is why He made us in His image, so we can carry His glory, which means share His glory. We are His children, He gets glory when we get glory, He has no deficit or deficiency in us getting glory as we advance the kingdom of God on earth.

So, why the long wait, why the call to Ephesians 6:13-14a “take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm…” and Exodus 14:13 “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today;” The reason I believe we are called to stand and keep on standing is because God gets more glory in our waiting then He does in the manifestation. Here’s why, because if we believe even though we have yet to see, if we stand and keep on standing, it tells the devil, our adversary, we trust the Lord even when we have yet to see the promise manifest. Our standing says, God is good, He is a promise keeper, we will not change our mind about Him, even if we do not see what He promises us here on earth.

Hebrews 11:13 says, “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” We say we want to live in Bible days, well guess what, that is exactly what we are doing. As we stand and keep on standing, never changing our mind about the character of God, no matter what we see, that is faith. Faith is the ONLY thing that pleases God, faith is what Jesus asked if He will find when He comes back to earth. So, as we stand and keep on standing, God is getting glory in a way that can only come from standing. Like soldiers in the military, we are trained, equipped and ready for battle, but we have to keep standing until our Commander in Chief gives the call the command. Don’t break rank, don’t tap out, stand and keep on standing, for God is getting glory in your standing and He promises we will see the salvation of the Lord! This is the glory of standing!