New Year Sermon: Faith Over Fear: Overcoming Giants In 2025

Faith Over Fear: Overcoming Giants in 2025

As we stand at the threshold of a new year, 2025, we find ourselves in a moment of reflection and anticipation. For some, the future may appear daunting, filled with uncertainties, challenges, and obstacles that seem insurmountable. Others may feel excited and ready to seize new opportunities. Regardless of where we stand, the story of Caleb and Joshua from Numbers 13 and 14 provides a profound lesson on how we can approach the year ahead—with faith over fear.

In the biblical account, Moses sent twelve spies into the Promised Land to scout its potential and bring back a report. All twelve saw the same land, experienced the same terrain, and observed the same inhabitants. However, their perspectives were vastly different. Ten spies returned with a fearful report, focusing on the giants they had seen and the fortified cities that seemed impenetrable. They said, "We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them" (Numbers 13:33). Their fear spread quickly among the Israelites, discouraging them and causing them to doubt God's promise.

But Caleb and Joshua saw the same land through the eyes of faith. Instead of focusing on the giants, they focused on God’s power and His promises. Caleb boldly declared, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it" (Numbers 13:30). Joshua echoed this confidence, reminding the people, "The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them" (Numbers 14:9). These two men chose to see possibilities where others saw problems, victory where others saw defeat, and God’s faithfulness where others saw failure.

Giants in Our Lives

As we enter 2025, we, too, face "giants" in our lives. These giants may not be literal, but they can feel just as intimidating. Perhaps your giant is financial insecurity, a broken relationship, a health challenge, or a deep-seated fear of the unknown. Maybe your giant is societal pressures, a demanding career, or the weight of unfulfilled dreams. Whatever it is, it’s easy to become overwhelmed, just as the ten spies were.

Fear often magnifies our problems and minimizes our faith. It causes us to focus on our limitations rather than God's limitless power. The ten spies focused on the size of the giants, but Caleb and Joshua focused on the size of their God. The giants may have been strong, but God was stronger. The cities may have been fortified, but God’s promises were unshakable. The key difference was perspective. Caleb and Joshua understood that the battle was not theirs to fight alone; it belonged to the Lord.

So, as we face the giants of 2025, let us ask ourselves: What are we focusing on? Are we dwelling on the obstacles before us, or are we fixing our eyes on the One who has already overcome the world? Jesus reminds us in John 16:33, "In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Just as Caleb and Joshua chose faith over fear, we are called to do the same.

Faith in God’s Promises

What gave Caleb and Joshua such unwavering confidence? It was their trust in God’s promises. God had already told the Israelites that He was giving them the land (Numbers 13:2). This was not a matter of "if" but "when." Yet, the ten spies allowed their fear to drown out God’s words. Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, clung to those promises, even when the odds seemed stacked against them.

God’s promises are just as true for us today. He promises to never leave us or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6). He promises to give us strength in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He promises to work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). These promises are not dependent on our circumstances or abilities; they are grounded in God’s unchanging character.

As we step into 2025, let us take hold of these promises with confidence. Instead of allowing fear to dictate our decisions, let us trust that God is faithful to do what He has said. Remember, the same God who parted the Red Sea, brought down the walls of Jericho, and defeated Goliath is the God who walks with us into this new year.

Choosing Faith Over Fear

The choice between faith and fear is not a one-time decision; it is a daily battle. Fear will always try to creep in, whispering lies and sowing doubt. But faith calls us to rise above, to trust in God even when we can’t see the way forward. Caleb and Joshua had every reason to be afraid—they saw the same giants and challenges as the other spies. But they made a deliberate choice to trust God’s word over their circumstances.

We can do the same. When fear tries to paralyze us, let us declare, like Caleb, "We can certainly do it" (Numbers 13:30). When the obstacles seem too great, let us remember Joshua’s words: "The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid" (Numbers 14:9). Faith is not the absence of fear; it is the courage to trust God in the face of fear.