Giants, Grasshoppers, Gaga, & God

Numbers 13. It’s made up of thirty-three verses of God’s story penned to paper. I encourage you to read it, but for the sake of time, let me sum it up for you.

Twelve men. Chosen to go into a land promised to be their own possession. The men, scholars believe, were between 30-40 years of age.

“Go up into the land,” they were told, “and see what it’s like.”

The twelve were to determine…

• Are the people strong or are they weak?
• Are they many or are they few?
• Is the land good or is it bad?
• Are the cities like camps or strongholds?
• Is the land rich or poor; fertile or barren?
• Are there forests or not?

“Oh, and by the way…bring back some fruit from the land because it’s HARVEST TIME.”

In order to get a good feel for the land and learn the people of the land, the men had to be among the people; they had to live in their land. Forty days they found themselves walking that land and harvesting for themselves some of it’s fruits—pomegranates, figs, and large clusters of grapes.

The spies reported…

“The land is good. It has an abundance of food. See…look at this cluster of grapes. Two of us had to carry it. But the people? They’re strong; we can’t fight against them. They’re like giants and we’re like tiny grasshoppers. And their cities? They’re strong too, and large! We can’t conquer their land. It will swallow us whole. We just can’t do it!”

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The Lord ignited a flame in my heart a few weeks ago regarding this story of Scripture. The flame began to flicker as I sat watching an interview with Lady Gaga.

I respect Lady Gaga. No, I don’t care for nor do I endorse every lyric she sings or the way she chooses to live her life and her choice of clothing is a little outrageous for my taste, but I respect her nonetheless.

• I respect her willingness to live outside the box.
• I respect her love and acceptance for all peoples despite their race, gender, sexual preference, marital status, socioeconomic status, age, physical appearance—you get the point here, right? She accepts EVERYONE!
• I respect her boldness and courage to be exactly who she is refusing to allow anyone to define or redefine her.
• I respect her authentic style.
• I respect her for her “if-you-don’t-like-what-I’m-doing-then-bump-it” attitude.
• I respect her transparency and honesty.
• I respect the fact that she is a giant in her day; a giant among many in her realm of influence giving a voice to those who would otherwise never be heard.

As Numbers 13 and Lady Gaga have welded together in my mind, I’ve discovered a few things about the way I desire to live my life.

At 34 years of age, within the age range, you’ll remember of Caleb, Joshua, and the other spies, God is calling me to be a giant in my day. I’m tired of being a grasshopper. Shrinking back and standing down because of fear. As a daughter of God I’ve not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

I no longer want to live on the outside of the world when God is saying to me, “Go up this way into this land that I’ve placed before you.” I want to live in the world, with it’s people, while having my eyes set on my heavenly home.

I’ve survived off the land long enough. Yes, I know there are very strong people living in the land; people who could chew me up and spit me out and others who could devour me whole (I’ve met a few of them face-to-face!). But I also know there are many who are weak, who can’t fight for themselves. Many who are bound by strongholds of epic proportions. They are grasshoppers who need giants to fight for them, to stand for them, to lead the way. Giants who will accept them if they’re African-American or Hispanic, Muslim or Protestant, Heterosexual or Homosexual, a millionaire or one who lives off food-stamps, an adulterer, a murderer, a rapist, an alcoholic, a drug addict, a thief, a liar, an All-American girl or a good ‘ole boy—I want to be their giant. Their voice. Their avenue to hope, to Light, to redemption.

I stand here at a precipice of what I believe to be a monumental life-changing year and from my vantage point I see many whose hearts are ready to be harvested for the Kingdom. Many who still need a little TLC instead of judgment and condemnation from a people who claim to love Jesus.

He (Jesus) said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few.” Matthew 9:37, NLT

God is calling me to more. To more of Him and much, much less of me. To more of His kingdom work and less of what I choose to do . To more power-filled, freedom walking and less staying quiet and shrinking back.

Is He calling you too?

Calling you to live life bold? To live life power-filled? To live life Spirit-energized and God directed? Is God calling you to be a Jesus-changed GIANT in your day?

Today I say boldly and with God’s power backing me, I’m no longer a grasshopper in my day. Like Lady Gaga, I will be a GIANT in my generation. I will live boldly, speak boldly, teach boldly, write boldly, love boldly, serve boldly, and give boldly.

I will NOT be the same; I AM NOT the same! GIANT transformation does that to people; it completely transforms one’s life from the inside out!

Authentic living is what I’m all about. No more living inside the box of mainstream Christianity. No more following the legalistic rules of the church that bind and trap Jesus followers from pursuing Jesus. NO MORE!

I am a GIANT for Jesus.

photo credits: http://www.novafm.com.au/article_lady-gaga-s-costumes-to-be-designed-by-giorgio-armani_104754