• Twelve Spies: Focusing on problems or God
• Focus on Jesus in the Storm: Fear or Faith
• Joseph: Seeing God’s Plan For Good
• Concluding Verses

Part of living the Christian life is learning perspective. We all need to see the world through the lens of Scripture and of God’s eternal plan. When we are solely focused on the things of earth and the here and now, we will miss so much. Our decision-making will be based on faulty data. When we focus on God, heaven, Scripture, and eternity, we can have the right perspective on life, one in alignment with truth and with God.

I’m going to go through a couple of examples to show how to have a right perspective on everything in our lives, but especially a right perspective on the hardship we see around us and experience personally.

§Twelve Spies: Focusing on problems or God

After God led His chosen people out of Egypt and to the promised land, He gave this command before leading the people into Canaan.

Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying, “Send out for yourself men so that they may spy out the land of Canaan, which I am going to give to the sons of Israel; you shall send a man from each of their fathers’ tribes, every one a leader among them.” (Numbers 13:1-2)

This was a test to see if the people were ready to trust God and receive the blessings that He had prepared for them. Conquering Canaan would be difficult to impossible based on their own power, but for their God, who had sent plagues on Egypt, parted the Red Sea, and created the universe, conquering Canaan was as good as done.

When Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, he said to them, “Go up there into the Negev; then go up into the hill country. See what the land is like, and whether the people who live in it are strong or weak, whether they are few or many. How is the land in which they live, is it good or bad? And how are the cities in which they live, are they like open camps or with fortifications? How is the land, is it fat or lean? Are there trees in it or not? Make an effort then to get some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes. (Numbers 13:17-20) {emphasis mine}

God, through Moses, sent a representative of each of the 12 tribes into the land to see what it was like. They were to see the blessings that God had prepared for them, but they would also see the dangers that existed. Seeing the dangers would require the people to trust in God’s providence and power rather than their own power. How did the men respond? What kind of report did they bring back? What was their focus?

When they returned from spying out the land, at the end of forty days, they proceeded to come to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; and they brought back word to them and to all the congregation and showed them the fruit of the land. Thus they told him, and said, “We went in to the land where you sent us; and it certainly does flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless, the people who live in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large; and moreover, we saw the descendants of Anak there. Amalek is living in the land of the Negev and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites are living in the hill country, and the Canaanites are living by the sea and by the side of the Jordan.” (Numbers 13:25-29) {emphasis mine}

Ten of the spies saw how blessed the land was, but they focused on the problems, not on God. They trusted in their own strength, not God’s strength. They didn’t trust in God’s promises.

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” (Numbers 13:30)

Caleb saw the blessings and remembered God’s promises, and eagerly sought to follow God’s plan. “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it.” As we will see, Caleb wasn’t trusting in his own strength or the strength of the people. He was trusting in the strength and promises of God.

But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are too strong for us.” So they gave out to the sons of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone, in spying it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants; and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great size. (Numbers 13:31-32) {emphasis mine}

These spies rightly saw that the people of the land were too strong for the Hebrew people, but they were not going in alone. They had the creator of the universe on their side. If God willed the land to them, then there was no enemy that could defeat them. Unfortunately, they only saw how large the men were and not how powerful and faithful their God is.

Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, “The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.” (Numbers 14:6-9) {emphasis mine}

Joshua and Caleb had the right perspective. They knew God would safely bring them into the land just as He had safely brought them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and across the wilderness. They knew failure to trust God was rebellion. They knew that if God was with them, they couldn’t lose.

So it is in our lives. If God is with us, no one can defeat us. Failure to trust God is rebellion. We do not need to fear, no matter what our circumstances.

§Focus on Jesus in the Storm: Fear or Faith

Similarly, in the New Testament, we read about the disciples frantically rowing a boat across the Sea of Galilee. They were struggling because of a storm. Jesus easily walks across the water to meet them on the other side, but they see Him.

When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” (Matthew 14:26-27)

As they were fighting the storm, they saw what they thought was a ghost because normally people don’t walk on water. Of course, Jesus isn’t just a man; He is the son of God who created the water upon which He was walking. As He does so many other times, He says, “do not be afraid.”

Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. (Matthew 14:28-32) {emphasis mine}

Peter is impulsive, but Peter had more faith than the rest of the disciples. He trusted Jesus and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” Jesus told him to come and Peter, with total faith in Jesus and without hesitation, climbed out of the boat onto the stormy water. In faith, Peter walked on water like no other mortal had ever done. Unfortunately, Peter didn’t stay focused on Jesus. He looked away. He changed his focus from Jesus to the storm and he began to sink. When he started sinking, he turned back to Jesus and cried, “Lord, save me!” Immediately at Peter’s cry, Jesus took hold of Peter and led him to the boat. Jesus asked Peter, “Why did you doubt?” The basic answer is that Peter doubted because he focused on the storm instead of focusing on Jesus.

When we are wholly focused on Jesus, it is impossible to doubt. When we split our focus or focus on our circumstances, we almost always fall into doubt.

Keep your focus on Jesus.

§Joseph: Seeing God’s Plan For Good

In his youth, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. He was a slave for years and then was falsely accused when he had acted honorably. He was then a prisoner for many more years. After interpreting Pharaoh’s dream, he was then promoted to 2nd in command and was put in charge of collecting grain for 7 years of plenty and then selling it during 7 years of famine. The same brothers, who had sold him into slavery, came and bowed down to him to try to buy grain from him. Joseph could have been vindictive after all he had gone through, but instead, he took care of his brothers and his extended family. His guilty brothers thought Joseph was only kind because of their father, so when their father died, they feared for their lives.

But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. So therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” So he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. (Genesis 50:19-21) {emphasis mine}

Joseph could be merciful because he had a godly perspective. He had seen how God used what was meant for harm to Joseph, to not only bless Joseph, but to provide for all of the people in the wider region, including the brothers who had desired to kill him, but instead had sold him into slavery.

Joseph understood God is the only one who has the right to punish evil. He knew God had used his brother’s evil intentions to do great good. His hardship had taught him to truly trust God in all things, and he knew God had chosen the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and his father Jacob (Israel) to be His chosen nation as a witness to the world. Joseph trusted God’s very good plan and not only did not act in vengeance against those who had hurt him, but also blessed and took care of them.

We also, when we are focused on God and his plan, can be merciful to those who have mistreated us. We can use our experience in hardship to grow in faith in God. We can see the world and others as God sees them. We can have the right perspective.

§Concluding Verses

We can read this prophecy/blessing of Balak to help guide our faith and perspective:

God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Behold, I have received a command to bless; When He has blessed, then I cannot revoke it. (Numbers 29:19-20) {emphasis mine}

We can always trust God’s blessings. When He says it, He will do it; it is certain. When God promises blessings, no one can take away that blessing.

“Remember this, and be assured; Recall it to mind, you transgressors. Remember the former things long past, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, ‘My purpose will be established, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure’; (Isaiah 46:8-10) {emphasis mine}

We need to always remember what God has done in the past. We should remember how God has protected and blessed us in our past, but we also should remember what God has done in the past. We need to study our Bible to remind us of God’s promises, God’s prophecies, and God’s fulfillment of past promises and prophecies. Understanding that everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen is all according to God’s plan helps us to have a right perspective.

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’ (Jeremiah 29:11-14) {emphasis mine}

Knowing that any hardship we experience is part of God’s plan and that it has a very good purpose helps us to have faith in all situations. It helps us to see things differently. Faith in and knowledge of God gives us a new perspective, an eternal perspective.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body And refreshment to your bones. (Proverbs 3:5-8)

May God help you to see the world as He sees it, and to see people as He sees them. May He guide you to act in accordance to His very good plan. May He give you a right perspective and an eternal perspective, so you can be His ambassadors in this world, calling many to repentance and faith in Him, so you may bring many with you when you enter heaven. May you live life with God’s perspective, so you hear, “Well done! Good and faithful servant.”

Trust Jesus

If you do not yet know Jesus, I beg you to trust in Him. Below are some verses that will tell you what you need to know to be saved. If you have any questions, I’d love to answer them. Just message me on Substack.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

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For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

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But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

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that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (Romans 10:9)

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If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:9-10)

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For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

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He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

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But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)

All verses are NASB unless otherwise noted.