”We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
Numbers 13:33New International Version (NIV)
Numbers 13:33 Devotional
Like Grasshoppers
“Like Grasshoppers” is the mindset that the Israelites had (Numbers 13:33) when they were about to cross over into the Promised Land. They, therefore, had what I like to call the “grasshopper mentality”.
The grasshopper view (mentality) is where one views an object (opponent/challenge) from below (either a disadvantaged or victim point of view). Therefore, it is as though he/she were truly a grasshopper in the object’s eyes.
This makes an object look tall, strong, and mighty, while you, the viewer, feel powerless. It’s an unrealistic view, consequently, an ungodly perspective.
But this is how the children of Israel saw themselves before the inhabitants of the Promised Land. They saw themselves as grasshoppers. That is, they evaluated themselves and concluded that they were no match for the inhabitants of the Promised Land.
This is because the grasshopper view excludes God and His plans from your perception. And it is the view that has prevented (and will continue to prevent) many people from becoming all that God intended for them to become and enjoy. It also obstructs attempts at great undertakings because at the core of it is an inferiority complex.
Therefore, most of our limitations are self-imposed or self-inflicted. Since as we grow up, we pick up unrealistic fears and unreasonable insecurities. By the time we attain adulthood, we may have little self-confidence, God-confidence, and lots of fears.
This makes most people define themselves either by their problems or their limited possibilities. But this need not be the case.
God
Therefore, to overcome the grasshopper mentality, you need to remember who you are, whose you are, and where your power comes from. And God is the source of your identity and power.
If you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you are God’s creation (2 Timothy 1:7) and an adopted child of God, having been ransomed through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Your power comes from the Holy Spirit planted in your heart when you first trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. And Jesus already overcame the world on our behalf (John 16:33).
Prayer/Blessing
Lord, help me identify and keep me away from the worm’s eye view. I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.
May you identify and keep away from the grasshopper mentality. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading
Deuteronomy 11-13 (see How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners))
