Response to the Call

"But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting to all the sons of Israel." -Numbers 14.10

Fear has spread. Panic has lead to crazy talk. Joshua and Caleb are trying to bring everything back to order. They are telling the people of the goodness of the land. They are calling them to be courageous, and trust God to fulfill His promise. But at this point the people are unable to hear their words. Ten spies have given a report of impossibility, and the call to courage falls on deaf ears.

Instead of remembering all that God has done for them in the recent past, and all of the promises He made centuries ago, they are ready to turn around and go be slaves again. But first, they decide to stone the crazy lunatics that want to march to death by sword. But before the stones can be hurled, God shows up.

The people were called to courage, but instead they gave in to fear, and rather than embracing the risk because the blessings of God far out weighed it, they decided to silence those who present the challenge of courageous trust. They would rather be slaves who waste away in the mud, then men who go out with their boots on. They would rather exist than live fully alive, because existence is safe. And to ensure the safe choice they try to permanently silence those who call them out of safety.

Men, all of us are called to be courageous. Every day we face options that call out the man in us. Every day we can choose to play it safe, or strap up our boots and charge the beach. Too often we have chosen safety, simply because it means we stay alive another day. And every time we chose safety we do whatever we can to silence whatever is calling us to courage. We avoid it at all costs. We try to ignore it if we can't avoid it. Or maybe we insult it as lunacy.

I'm thinking about the first real battle scene in Braveheart. William Wallace and his men ride up, in full war paint, to an army that is fleeing because they see nothing but death awaiting them. He asks why they flee to which a young soldier responds that the enemy army is too big to be defeated. Then he calls them to courage.

"I am William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny. You've come to fight as free men, and free men you are. What will you do with that freedom? Will you fight?" To this an older man says, "Fight? Against that? No! We will run. And we will live." He points out that the battle is suicide, there is no way that this small army can overcome the other. He is saying that courage is pointless and suicidal, that it's crazy.

But William Wallace knows that courage is the only way to have anything worth having. He responds with this, "Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you'll live, at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take OUR FREEDOM!"

Fear leads to existence. Existence leads to regret. But courage leads to life lived fully. It is not the safe life, but it is the only way to really live life. We are all called to courage, what is your response? Will you silence the call, or follow it into battle?

"Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."

To God alone be the Glory!

Strength and Honor