You Can Get Bigger

John Clardy

1John 4:4    You are of God, little children, and you have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

Joshua 14:11-12    

11)   As yet I am as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me. As my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out and to come in.

12)   And now give me this mountain of which Jehovah spoke on that day. For you heard in that day how the giants were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. If Jehovah will be with me, then I will be able to drive them out, as Jehovah said.

On his first attempt to conquer Mt. Everest, Sir Edmund Hilary failed.  His valiant attempt however did result in the honor of him being knighted by the Queen of England.  At the gala occasion, those in attendance gave him a standing ovation for even daring to attempt the climb. When they ceased applauding, Hilary turned his back to the audience, and faced a huge picture of Mt. Everest that had been hung behind the head table and said, "Mt. Everest, you have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and again, and I'm going to win because you can't get any bigger, Mt. Everest, and I can."

He could have been content with being knighted by the Queen and being honored by the people of England, but Sir Edmund Hillary refused to be satisfied with less than the goal he had set for himself!  He was even more determined to conquer his mountain!

That is the attitude we need when we face the mountains in our lives. The reality of life is that we need failures as much as we need successes. Successes are satisfying and fulfilling, but failure is our greatest teacher. Every failure presents us with an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to become stronger, better persons.

In the book of Joshua, we find another man that refused to be content with less than conquering his mountain.  Caleb at the age of 40 had to wait and wander with the children of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years because of their unbelief.  No one over the age of 20, except Joshua and Caleb was allowed to enter Canaan. But before they turned back to wander in the wilderness, Caleb made Moses swear an oath that Mt. Hebron and its region would belong to him and his progeny as their inheritance.

Now Caleb is 85!  Because of his age, some were probably trying to dissuade him from pursuing such challenging part of Canaan as his inheritance. You see, Mt. Hebron was occupied by giants. But Caleb said, “I am as able now as I was then!  My mountain is still there!  It has not changed, but my desire for this mountain has only grown stronger!  My determination has gotten bigger! Give me my mountain!”

Whatever mountain you are facing at this time of your life with God’s help you can say to your mountain, "You have defeated me once and you might defeat me again. But I'm coming back again and I'm going to win! Mountain, you can't get any bigger but, I can!”