The Power Of Critics

So, the Israelites had been delivered from their bondage in Egypt & had been traveling for a long time.  They finally arrived at a location where their promised land was within reach – they were almost there.  Then…“The Lord now said to Moses, ‘Send out men to explore the land of Canaan, the land I am giving to the Israelites. Send one leader from each of the twelve ancestral tribes.’  So Moses did as the Lord commanded him…”  (Num. 13:1-3a NLT)

I’m sure you’re familiar with the story – those 12 spies set out & explored this promised land for 40 days.  When they returned – “They reported to the whole community what they had seen and showed   them the fruit they had taken from the land. This was their report to Moses: ‘We entered the land you sent us to explore, and it is indeed a bountiful country—a land flowing with milk and honey. Here is the kind of fruit it produces. But the people living there are powerful, and their towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there…’”  (Numbers 13:26b-28a NLT)  

How easy it is to see good but then focus on nothing but the perceived negatives.  How foolish we can be.

One of those 12 spies – Caleb – tried to quash the negative thoughts being spoken – “‘Let’s go at once to take the land,’ he said. ‘We can certainly conquer it!’”  (Numbers 13:30b NLT)  But 10 of those spies continued to speak nothing but negativity & fear to the people of Israel.  This resulted in the people protesting against Moses & Aaron.  The bad reports & criticism from the 10 spies were just overwhelming for them.  Joshua then joined with Caleb urging the people to be strong – “‘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!’”  

Joshua & Caleb saw & believed – they had the vision of God, unlike the critics.  “The obstacles & opposition were real, they said, but so was God’s promise.”  *  “Critics have that kind of power, unfortunately.  What they say may be true, but they rarely emphasize the higher truth of what God has said.  They limit themselves to a human perspective and ignore the possibility of a divine one.”  *  “When God has spoken, the voices of critics need to fade away.”  *  “Criticism is easy, but faith and vision actually make things happen.”  *

Sadly, this is a story of how the critics won out & the results were definitely negative – 40 more years of wandering around in the desert when their promised land had been just steps away.  How often do we sabotage & delay victories in our lives by having a critical view of circumstances rather than looking at things through the eyes of God & His promises? 

I know that I need to work on this – how about you?

But can the results of critics ever have positive results?  I believe they can, depending on the state of mind of those that hear the criticism – as well as the strength of their faith.  I believe the story of Nehemiah is a good example of this idea.

Nehemiah was simply the king’s cup bearer.  But he got a report about the plight of the Jews that had returned to Judah.  He was told things weren’t going well for them – that the walls around Jerusalem had been torn down & the gates destroyed.  “When I heard this, I sat down and wept. In fact, for days I mourned, fasted, and prayed to the God of heaven.”  (Nehemiah 1:4 NLT)  

Nehemiah must’ve earned great favor with the king because he was sent out to Judah to rebuild the city with the king’s blessings & protection.  But, immediately upon his arrival some governors in nearby provinces were unhappy about this venture.  

Nehemiah surveyed the damages, went to the Jewish leaders & immediately gained their confidence & support regarding the challenge before them.  Their enemies quickly began to taunt them & Nehemiah simply rebuffed them – speaking faith:  “…’The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall…’”  (Nehemiah 2:20a NLT)

Then the process began – they started rebuilding the wall, setting beams, installing doors.  Different groups that were responsible for sections of the wall worked tirelessly to accomplish their objectives.  

Their enemies were critical, mocking & angry.  They tried to oppose them in every way possible.  They were making plans to attack them, but Nehemiah encouraged the workers & placed guards around the city.  Nehemiah – “Then as I looked over the situation, I called together the nobles and the rest of the people and said to them, ‘Don’t be afraid of the enemy! Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious…”  (Nehemiah 4:14a NLT)      

The enemies continued to criticize & plot ways to get rid of Nehemiah, but he wasn’t convinced or swayed by their schemes.  “Even with all that interference, the wall was soon finished. It was the 25th day of Elul. The work had been accomplished in 52 days. When our enemies heard the work was complete and the surrounding nations saw our wall, their confidence crumbled. Only one possible conclusion could be drawn: it was not just our efforts that had done this thing. God had been working alongside us.”  (Nehemiah 6:15-16 VOICE)   

Nehemiah just simply kept his heart set on God, never doubting – in spite of all the critics.  Actually, I believe they probably inspired him.  What a great example he is of overcoming criticism!  This is a person I would hope to emulate every day of my life – especially when facing critics.

So as we face challenges, no matter how big or small, we need to keep in mind that the power of critics that arise before us can be negative or positive.  Let’s reject the negative & choose the positive by keeping our eyes & hearts focused on God.  He will work alongside us & give us the victory! 

Written by Karran Martin – November 3, 2024  

*Quotes by Chris Tiegreen

[All bold emphasis is mine]