Numbers 13:
26-33
Facing up
life with
confidence
The main
difference
between
people is
not the
facts they
face but the
interpretation
they give to
the same
facts. A
story is
told a long
time ago
about two
salesmen who
were sent to
Africa to
open a
market for a
shoe
company. One
wired a
telegram
stated that
there was no
possibility
of doing
business in
this land
because no
one wore
shoes. The
other
salesman
sent also a
telegram
stated:
“Possibilities
unlimited!
No one has
shoes! Send
a big
container,
and stand by
for further
orders. The
difference
was the way
the two
salesmen
looked at
the facts
before them.
Very often,
it is not
what life
brings to us
as what we
bring to
life in our
spirits
makes the
difference
between
people.
Twelve spies
were sent to
explore the
Promise
Land. Their
job was not
to determine
if the land
could be
conquered,
because that
had already
been decided
by God. All
the spies
saw the
giants, the
sons of Anak.
But Caleb
and Joshua
contrary to
the other
ten saw
these giants
in the light
of God, and
therefore
were in no
sense
terrified by
them. They
declared
with daring
faith: “They
are bread to
us” (Nun.
14:9).
As you face
up the New
Year, you
can decide
to see only
the problems
or you can
see the
possibilities.
-
Sometimes
we see
only the
problems
of life.
Num.
13:31-33
Like the ten
unfaithful
spies,
sometimes
all we can
see is the
problems. We
are a very
problem-conscious
generation.
We have a
keen
realization
of our
church
problems,
our social
problems,
our domestic
problems,
and our
individual
problems. We
are not
asking you
to ignore
the fact
that we are
living in a
world where
problems are
all around
us. However,
children of
God do not
need to
overemphasize
them and
become so
conscious of
them that we
are
paralyzed.
The
declarations
of the
negative ten
spies
brought fear
to the
hearts of
the children
of Israel.
“We are not
able to go
up against
the people,
for they are
stronger
than we –
the land
through
which we
have gone as
spies is a
land that
devours its
inhabitants,
and all
people whom
we saw in it
are men of
great
stature –
there we saw
the giants;
and we were
like
grasshoppers
in our own
sight, and
so we were
in their
sight.”(Num.13:31-33)
Do you ever
take the
time to
consider
your fears
of the
yesteryears
or certain
difficult
situation?
Don’t you
realize
after all
that most of
them were
only
negative
thinking and
imaginary
problems?
The faith of
the ten
spies was no
longer on
God, but on
their own
abilities.
They were
overwhelmed
by fear. The
only
contribution
they could
make upon
their return
was one of
discouragement
and despair.
Their
negative
attitude and
keen sense
of problems
affect all
the assembly
of the
children of
Israel. God
had to
postpone
possessing
the land
until that
generation
had died in
the desert.
-
Facing
up life by
seeing the
possibilities.
Num.13:30
Caleb and
Joshua saw
the
possibilities,
because
unlike the
other spies,
they were
not obsessed
with
problems.
Caleb
quieted the
people, and
said: “Let
us go up at
once and
take
possession,
for we are
well able to
overcome
it.” What
does it take
to enable us
to see the
possibilities
in life
instead of
problems?
-
We need
a sense of
mission.
Num.13:17-20
Caleb and
Joshua had a
sense of
mission
about what
they were to
do. They
went to find
a way into
the land,
not to
report the
difficulties.
The mission
was to see
what the
land is
like, and to
bring back
some of the
fruits. We
often spend
so much time
talking
about
problems, we
forget about
solutions
and
possibilities.
With a sense
of mission
we can
succeed in
the year
ahead. Our
mission is
to conquer
not to
survey
problems.
-
We need
a vision
of
strength.
Num.14:8
A person’s
self-concept
has a lot to
do with what
he/she is
and does. A
person who
thinks that
he/she is a
failure will
more likely
be a
failure. The
ten
unfaithful
spies saw
themselves
as
grasshoppers
before the
inhabitants
of the land.
They
considered
themselves
insignificant
and too weak
to act. But
Caleb and
Joshua were
positive.
Where the
ten saw
problems,
they saw
possibilities.
They had a
vision of
strength. It
is not by
our strength
but by God’s
that we
overcome. If
God approves
a plan, He
will provide
the power to
carry it
out. In the
New
Testament,
Apostle Paul
declares:
“…If God is
for us who
can be
against
us.”(Rom.8:31).
-
We Need
dependence
on God.
Num.14:9
The real
secret of
Caleb and
Joshua was
their
dependence
on God.
Knowing as
much about
the land and
as much
about the
children of
Israel as
the other
spies, if
they
depended on
their own
strength,
they too
would have
been
discouraged.
But they
were willing
to depend on
God. We have
to notice
how they
expressed
their
dependence.
“Only do not
rebel
against the
Lord, nor
fear the
people of
the land,
for they are
our bread;
their
protection
has departed
from them,
and the Lord
is with us.
Do not fear
them.”(Num.14:9)
The giants
and the
descendants
of Anak of
life are the
problems,
but with God
in our side,
we are more
than
conqueror.
David said
to Goliath,
the giant
and champion
of
Philistines:
“You come to
me with
sword, with
spear, and
with
javelin. But
I come to
you in the
name of the
Lord of
hosts…” (I
Sam.17:45).
Dependence
on God is
the key to
change all
problems
into
possibilities.
Conclusion.
How will
you face up
to life in
the year
ahead? Life
will present
all of us
with
problems and
possibilities.
We can look
at the
problems and
be defeated
or at the
possibilities
and move
ahead. The
ten spies
and the
problem
conscious
Israelites
did not make
it to the
Promise
Land.
Success and
failure
depend on
how we
interpret
life and
whether we
trust in
God.
Happy New
Year to all
the members
and friends
of
Redemption
Baptist
Church!
