Numbers 13:27-30(NKJV) 27Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.” 30Then 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.”
Our focus this week has been on how what we see affects what we say. The word “perspective” is very important. Our perspective is the angle from which and the filters through which we see life. Our perspective is made up of many factors. As Christians, the Word of God and the reality of the realm of the spirit must dominate our perspective.
We looked at how perspective affected the words of Elisha and his servant when a hostile army surrounded them. The servant saw through the eyes of the natural and came to the only conclusion possible. He said to Elisha, “What are we going to do.” There was no hope in the natural and his words reflected that perspective.
Elisha said something quite different. He declared to the servant, “There are more with us than against us.” How could he say that when they were only two and the enemy had an army? He could say it because the Spirit not the natural dominated his perspective. When he prayed for his servants eyes to be opened, his servant saw the angelic army. We need to pray that Lord will open the eyes of our spirits so we can see what is available to us not just what is arrayed against us
Today I want to look at another instance of how perspective affected words. It is a very familiar story. The children of Israel have come to the edge of the promised land. Moses is still their leader and the generation that saw God’s mighty deliverance from Egypt is still alive. Moses sends twelve spies into the promised land. They both come back after seeing the same evidence but their words are very different.
The first ten tell Moses, “The land is just as good as God said it was.” They start out well. Their words confirm the truth of the Promise of God. If they had stopped there, everything would have been all right. However, like many of us, they could not contain their perspective. It eventually came out in their words. “The land is good but the obstacles are too great for us to overcome. We cannot take the land God promised.”
I believe we can see ourselves reflected in these ten spies. We often quote the word of God and acknowledge that it is true. Then we add that fateful word, “but.” “I know the bible says that God will meet my need, but…..” “I know that the bible says that I am healed by the stripes of Jesus, but…..” “I know the bible says that Jesus will never leave me nor forsake me, but…..” Our perspective is revealed by our “buts.”
Why did the ten spies give what the bible calls and evil report? It is because they were focused on what they could not do instead of what God said. It is often difficult for us to speak words of faith when all we can see is how inadequate our abilities are compared to the situation. When we focus on our lack, we will always speak accordingly. This kind of speaking enforces that lack. We find ourselves powerless and we give up.
Twelve spies went into the promised land. They all saw the very same land. They all saw the walled cities. They all saw the Giants. Joshua and Caleb agreed with the assessment that the Land was just what God said it would be. However, their perspective caused them to say something different when it came to Israel’s ability to posses what God had promised.
“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.” Just as the ten could not contain their perspective, the two could not contain their perspective either. When Caleb heard what the first ten said about the opposition, he could hardly believe his ears. How could they come to such a conclusion? God had proven that his promise was real. God would surely give them the land.
Joshua and Caleb’s conclusion was not based on how strong Israel’s army was. It was not based on their overwhelming numbers. Joshua and Caleb did not believe that they had a technological advantage that would enable them to prevail. The giants looked just as big to them as they had to the ten. The city walls looked just as high and the people of Canaan looked just as numerous as they did to the ten. However, none of that was relevant because they were not looking through their ability.
One thing alone dominated Joshua and Caleb’s perspective. They saw the land through God’s promise. This caused them to see through God’s ability and not their own. If God’s promise was true, so was his willingness to fulfill it. Their word flowed from that perspective.
What perspective do you see through? You only have to listen to your words to find out. If what you say is dominated by what you can or cannot do, your perspective is limited to your ability. If your words are full of what God says and what he promises to do for you, then your perspective is dominated by God’s ability not yours. How did Joshua and Caleb develop this perspective?
We can tell by what they say.
Numbers 14:6-9(NKJV) 6But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 7and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 8If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 9Only 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.”
Joshua and Caleb quoted the promise of God. I believe that before they ever got to the promised land they had rehearsed the promise of God. I believe that they went into the land believing in the promise. I think they probably talked to each other as they were spying the land saying, “Look at this. Everything God said is true. If the promise is true, there is no way that these people can stand against the power of God.”
Perspective is not something we are stuck with. Perspective can change if we change our “viewing angle” or if we change the lens we view through. If you are looking at your circumstances and all you can see is lack, change your viewing angle. Get into the Word of God and view the problem from the promise. It will begin to look different. Change the lens you are using. The bible says to “magnify the Lord.” Stop looking at the problem in the magnifying glass. That just makes the problem look bigger. Instead, look at the Lord through the magnifying glass and the problem without it. You will begin to see the Lord as much greater than the problem.
As we change our perspective, we will change our words. We will be like Joshua and Caleb. Others may say, “How do you think you’re going to make it?” You will respond, “What are you talking about? If God is for me, how could I fail to make it.” As your words change, your circumstances will follow.
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