We live in a world filled with informations, problems, and difficulties, and it’s ever so easy to get distracted by worries and bad news, which takes our focus off God, Jesus, and His promises.
Today, I want to talk about a people whom God loved. They received a promise from God, but because they kept looking at the size of their problems, they missed out on what God had in store for them.
These people were the descendants of Abraham. After centuries of slavery in Egypt, God heard the cry of Israel and rescued them with power. Guided by Moses through the desert, they faced challenges and trials, but divine faithfulness sustained them. They arrived on the edge of Canaan, the land God had promised them, and hope was rekindled in their hearts, ready to take possession of their inheritance.
“The Lord said to Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” So at the Lord’s command Moses sent them out from the Desert of Paran. All of them were leaders of the Israelites.” (Numbers 13:1-3)
Moses sent 12 spies to scout out the land and bring back information about its features and inhabitants.
The Contrast of Visions: These 12 men went to the same place, saw the same things, the same scenery, but we see a contrast between the report of most of the spies (10) and the report of Caleb and Joshua (2).
While most focused on the obstacles and the impossibility of conquering the land, Caleb and Joshua saw the land through the eyes of faith, trusting in God’s power to fulfil His promise.
“Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
Numbers 13:30 NKJV
Your vision, your perspective and your focus influences your ability to receive what God has for you!
Many say: “If God promised, He will do it!” This isn’t always true!
God promised all those who were enslaved in Egypt that they would go to a promised land, but that didn’t happen; instead, they died in the desert.
Are you waiting for a promise from God? Have you received a word from God that He would do something in your life? Has God said that He would use you? Have you received gifts and promises from God?
God’s promises are conditional. These promises depend on our vision and obedience.
2 Chronicles 7:14 – “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Deuteronomy 28:1,2 – “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all His commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God.”
Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – “This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.”
Joshua 1:7-8 – “Be strong and courageous… be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go… then you will be prosperous and successful.”
Isaiah 1:19 – “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.”
Our perspective, obedience and our focus influence our ability to see and receive God’s promises.
The Report of Doubt: Focusing on the Problems (Report of the 10 spies)
““But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 31 “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” 32 And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. 33 We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:28, 31-33 NIV
The Description of the Land: The 10 spies focused only on the problems and difficulties, and they emphasised the strength of the inhabitants and their own supposed inability to conquer them.
Do you know anyone who are always focused on problems? Do you know anyone that as soon as you get close to them, they start talking about their problems and struggles?
There are people who live an oppressed life because they only look at their problems. If you get close to them, you’ll only hear them complain and talk about problems, they live worried lives thinking about their future, concerned about the Antichrist, the mark of the beast, how to store food during the time of the Antichrist, and the Great Tribulation to come, etc.
It’s not wrong to study and understand biblical prophecies, but we should use this knowledge to motivate us to live a life of faith, love and faithfulness to God. The main focus should be on following Jesus, being faithful to Him, and trusting, no matter what the future holds. Jesus never told you to worry about the future! So why are you worried?
When we focus on problems, fear, anxiety, worry and unbelief come. As a result, we don’t experience God’s best and His promises.
This generated fear and unbelief in the people of Israel, leading them to complain against God and to question His faithfulness (Numbers 14:1-4).
“That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. 2 All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! 3 Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” 4 And they said to each other, “We should choose a leader and go back to Egypt.”” (Numbers 14:1-4)
Fear and unbelief amongst the population came with this negative report. Focusing on the problems generated fear and unbelief in the people.
The 10 spies focused on the difficulty of taking the land and ignored God’s power and His promise to give them victory, and their unbelief spread.
“Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.”
Hebrews 12:2 NIV
Those who lose focus, lose their miracle! One day, Peter and the disciples were in a boat and a big storm came. They were all afraid, and suddenly Jesus appeared, walking on the water. All the disciples were scared, but Peter got out of the boat, and as long as he kept looking at Jesus, he walked over the water. The moment he began to look at the actual situation – the force of the wind, the size of the waves around him – he started to sink.
When we focus on our problems, we abort our miracle.
Because of the 10 spies who focused on the problems, an entire generation lost God’s promise. The consequence of doubt was the loss of opportunity: unbelief prevented that generation from entering the Promised Land (Numbers 14:22-23).
“Not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their ancestors. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and has followed me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” (Numbers 14:23-24)
When you focus on the problem, you prolong the suffering: They wandered in the desert for 40 years, until that entire generation of unbelievers had died (Numbers 14:32-35).
Proverbs 23:7: “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”
Matthew 6:22-23: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”
Your eyes are the key to living a full life, to receiving what God has promised you.
Now let’s look at the two spies who had good eyes and a heart full of faith.
The Report of Faith: Focusing on the Promises
The Vision of Caleb and Joshua: All 12 spies saw the same scenery, the same problems, but Joshua and Caleb chose to see the situation with the eyes of faith. They acknowledged the challenges, but they trusted in God’s power to overcome them (Numbers 14:6-9).
“And said to the entire assembly of Israel, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us; do not be afraid of them.” (Numbers 14:7-9)
The land is exceedingly good. IF the Lord is pleased with us, then He will lead us into that land and give it to us! Can you see the condition? God made a promise, “I will lead you to a land,” but IF the Lord is pleased with us, then He will give it to us!
Caleb and Joshua were convinced that God would fulfil His promise, because He had already demonstrated His power and faithfulness in the past.
The Blessings of Faith:
The Reward of Trust: Caleb and Joshua were the only ones from that generation who entered the Promised Land (Numbers 14:30, Deuteronomy 1:36-38).
“Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.” (Numbers 14:30)
We need to adjust our vision and focus on God and His promises: They received a special portion of the land as their inheritance because they believed and trusted (Joshua 14:6-15).
Romans 4:20-21: “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
The Challenges of Life: Recognise that we all face challenges, difficulties, and moments of uncertainty.
But we need to choose where to focus. Like those spies, we have the choice to focus on the problems and impossibilities or to focus on God’s promises and His power to help us.
How to Cultivate the Perspective of Faith?
Know God’s Promises: Study the Bible to know God’s promises and meditate on them.
Pray with Faith: Pray to God, asking Him to open your eyes to see situations with the perspective of faith.
Remember God’s miracles: Remember the times God has already helped you in the past, and trust that He will do it again.
Surround Yourself with People of Faith: Seek the company of people who encourage you to trust in God and keep your focus on Him.
Faith comes from hearing the word of God, so don’t miss church, don’t miss meetings in homes (Cell Meetings), because together we strengthen our faith.
Conclusion
God has many promises to fulfil in your life!
You need to change your focus, stop looking at problems, and choose to see God’s promises amidst the challenges.
Look at yourself, examine your focus, and decide to change your perspective, choosing to trust in God and in His promises.
God bless you