In Numbers 13-14 we are told the story of Joshua, Caleb and twelve other leaders being chosen to go out as spies into the “Promised Land”. They were given the task of finding out what the land and their enemies were like and to return with a report for Moses, Aaron and all of Israel. Upon their return all twelve spies agreed that the land “flowed with milk and honey”, it’s fruit was good but their enemies were large. While they all agreed on what they had seen, there was sharp disagreement among the twelve as to what the nation should do next. Ten of the spies put all of their perspective on the enemies and concluded that Israel could not defeat them, Joshua and Caleb put their perspective on the promises of God and believed that Israel not only could defeat the enemies, but that they must go in and possess the land that God had promised them.
I believe that perspective is a huge key to whether we walk in disappointment or fulfillment. Wrong perspective creates deceptive conclusions. By the time the ten spies were done, they had concluded that not only were their enemies giants that they could not defeat but the land itself was the kind that devoured it’s inhabitants. They went from reporting that the land was what God promised it would be to trying to spread fear and doubt, all because they chose to set their attention on the obstacles and difficulties that they faced rather than the opportunity and promises that God had made.
Where is your perspective today? What is it that you look at and confess the most, how hard your situation is or how faithful God is to fulfill all of His promises? If you look back at Exodus 3, you will find that all of the enemies that drove ten of the twelve spies to fear and even decide to return to slavery in Egypt were listed by God when He announced the land that He was going to provide for Israel. God was not surprised or slowed by the obstacles of enemies, we should not be either. Don’t allow obstacles or difficulty to turn to disappointment. Trust God’s love, trust His promises, trust His goodness and follow Him fully until He fulfills everything He has promised in and over your life.