Star Wars is huge phenomenon in our society, especially now with the release of Episode VII: The Force Awakens. (Never fear; this is a spoiler-free zone.) In my eyes, the movie lived up to the hype, and because of the gigantic interest it has accrued, I believe it deserves my attention. There are many areas on which I could focus, but one of the parts that stuck out to me was in the new movie.
Former smuggler and war hero Han Solo is using a new technique to flee from his adversaries when one of his companions asks, "Is that possible?" Solo turns to the newbie and replies, "I never ask that question until after we've done it." In essence, the older man has no idea whether his trick will work, but he has to have faith. The sole salvation for Solo and his friends lies in trusting he can do the things others think impossible. The truth is, without his cleverness and faith in his friends, Han Solo and Chewbacca would not have survived long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Solo's past haunted him, and only with the help of Luke and Leia could he do what everyone else thought impossible. He moved past his past and became a hero.
Numbers 13-14 tell the story of Israel's people scouting out Canaan. The land was promised to them, but Moses wanted to know what he was getting into before they entered. Ten of the twelve scouts came back with this report, "We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country - a land flowing with milk and honey. ... But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there..." (Num. 13:27b-28a NLT). Israel is, sadly, a nation known for their lack of trust in God. This is the case here, for when the people heard the report, they wept and refused to take their inheritance. Only two men stood up for God's might, the final two scouts, Caleb and Joshua (future leader of the nation):
The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with
us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and
honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only
helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don't be afraid of them!
(Num. 14:7b-9)
The pair had seen God's power firsthand, as had all the Israelites, and they believed He could accomplish what He promised through them. Unfortunately, no one else thought this way, and the Israelites ended up wandering in the wilderness for a generation. Only Caleb and Joshua were left alive to witness the transition into Canaan.
As Christians, God sometimes gives us lofty goals and risky dreams. People try to tell us we are being unrealistic. They attempt to derail our progress by saying our motivation is pure but the goal is too big. If our dreams come from the Lord, how can anything be too big? Matthew 17:20 states, "'You don't have enough faith,' Jesus told them. 'I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.'" If faith can move mountains, surely it can help us with whatever God has called us to do. Take a page from Han Solo's book. Never ask if something is impossible until it is already done.
Former smuggler and war hero Han Solo is using a new technique to flee from his adversaries when one of his companions asks, "Is that possible?" Solo turns to the newbie and replies, "I never ask that question until after we've done it." In essence, the older man has no idea whether his trick will work, but he has to have faith. The sole salvation for Solo and his friends lies in trusting he can do the things others think impossible. The truth is, without his cleverness and faith in his friends, Han Solo and Chewbacca would not have survived long ago in a galaxy far, far away. Solo's past haunted him, and only with the help of Luke and Leia could he do what everyone else thought impossible. He moved past his past and became a hero.
Numbers 13-14 tell the story of Israel's people scouting out Canaan. The land was promised to them, but Moses wanted to know what he was getting into before they entered. Ten of the twelve scouts came back with this report, "We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country - a land flowing with milk and honey. ... But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there..." (Num. 13:27b-28a NLT). Israel is, sadly, a nation known for their lack of trust in God. This is the case here, for when the people heard the report, they wept and refused to take their inheritance. Only two men stood up for God's might, the final two scouts, Caleb and Joshua (future leader of the nation):
The land we traveled through and explored is a wonderful land! And if the Lord is pleased with
us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and
honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don't be afraid of the people of the land. They are only
helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don't be afraid of them!
(Num. 14:7b-9)
The pair had seen God's power firsthand, as had all the Israelites, and they believed He could accomplish what He promised through them. Unfortunately, no one else thought this way, and the Israelites ended up wandering in the wilderness for a generation. Only Caleb and Joshua were left alive to witness the transition into Canaan.
As Christians, God sometimes gives us lofty goals and risky dreams. People try to tell us we are being unrealistic. They attempt to derail our progress by saying our motivation is pure but the goal is too big. If our dreams come from the Lord, how can anything be too big? Matthew 17:20 states, "'You don't have enough faith,' Jesus told them. 'I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.'" If faith can move mountains, surely it can help us with whatever God has called us to do. Take a page from Han Solo's book. Never ask if something is impossible until it is already done.