One of the most heart breaking stories in the Old Testament is the return of the spies from the Promised Land, and the general decision by the people not to attempt to enter the land: The land we explored devours those living in it. The people we saw there were of great size. We saw the Nephilim there. . . We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked like the same to them. (Numbers 13:32-33) The Nephilim were a tribe of giants who were believed to have supernatural qualities.

Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, tried desperately to counter this negative report, reminding the people of God’s supernatural rescue of them from Egypt, and His faithfulness in their travels, all to no avail. The spies even brought back with them samples of the abundant grain and fresh fruit , just as they had been told would be waiting for them in the Promised Land. Mention of the Nephilim was the turning point in their decision not to go any farther.

We all have Nephilim in our lives. In fact, we’re bombarded by terrifying Nephilim many times a day through multiple forms of the media: “taxes”, “variants”, “supply chain”, “deadly weather,” “war,” and an even longer list of personal Nephilims. They are fears that appear to have supernatural proportion, and at least partly succeed in paralyzing our wills to move forward. For the Israelites the fear cost them forty years in the wilderness learning to trust God and turn away from fear.

For us the cost of giving in to our Nephilim can be counted only in each individual. In both cases God does not remain neutral: This is how love is made complete in us so that we will have confidence. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear. . . We love because He first loved us.( 1 John 4:16-19)

When God sent His son Jesus to us He sent a love that would make it possible for us to defeat the Nephilim in our lives and even in the world . Because God is greater than all the Nephilim in the world, through His love for us we have all we need to escape the paralysis of fear, and the destruction of despair. God is love.

Love in Him,

Prue