Promise over Perspective

Numbers 13 “1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the people of Israel. From each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a chief among them.” 3 So Moses sent them from the wilderness of Paran, according to the command of the Lord, all of them men who were heads of the people of Israel.

“25 At the end of forty days they returned from spying out the land. 26 And they came to Moses and Aaron and to all the congregation of the people of Israel in the wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh. They brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. 27 And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 28 However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites dwell in the land of the Negeb. The Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the hill country. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea, and along the Jordan.” 30 But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.””

TODAY I WANT TO TALK FROM THE SUBJECT “PROMISE OVER PERSPECTIVE”

PRAYER

INTRO

There was a woman who was diagnosed with a horrible disease, and the truth is many people who are diagnosed with this disease depending on the severity marks a long road of treatment, medicine and procedures, only to be hopeful for a recovery. This woman’s family began to worry and develop unsure thoughts about her future. if you were to ask the family of this woman how they felt about this news, some would say when they first heard the news they began to grow somber and have thoughts that this mother, this wife, this daughter, this woman was in danger. Some of the family would even come out and say that their reaction to the news sent there mind instantly to the worst case scenario for this woman.

This Woman would begin the treatment of this disease and not soon after you could see the symptoms of this disease begin to effect her body. She would grow weak some days after treatment, and the effects of the disease would begin to show their face as she would go through the process of medicine and treatments.

One day her son came to her worried and seemingly defeated because he himself began to look at his mothers situation from a perspective that led him to have more fear in his heart hope in his heart. As the treatments went on he would read articles about what the outcome could be, he would read studies on how rigorous some of the treatments could be, and in this moment with his mother it was clear that his perspective of only seeing the worst of his mothers situation began take over any thoughts of hope that healing could happen.

The mother seeing the the worry on her sons face began to tear down her sons perspective of fear, and she did it by speaking not from her own words of comfort but reminding her son about the promises of God.

She reminded her son that God did not give us a spirit of fear.

She reminded her son to fear not for God is with US.

She reminded the son that we have been commanded to be strong in courageous.

She reminded her son that yes this is a trial but its the trails that grow us to be stronger.

She reminded her son that yes shes going through this valley, but as David said I shall fear no evil for God is with US!

All the son could think is, how is it that his mother who has this disease, who dealing with the pain, whos dealing with the treatments, can some how find more joy, hope, and peace than Him who isnt carrying the burden of this disease.

Theres one thing to read and know Romans 14:8 “8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.”

But its another thing to walk in its truth!

The truth is I am that son who allowed his perspective of his mothers situation to blind him to the promises of God.

Break down the text.

Now, I want to be clear: my mother’s faith was not a guarantee that she would receive the medical outcome we desired. Faith does not mean pretending the diagnosis is not real, and it does not mean that a faithful believer will never feel afraid, tired, or discouraged. .Our confidence is not that God must always do exactly what we want; our confidence is that God will always remain faithful to what He has promised.

Here in the text we see twelves spies who were sent out to scout the same land. All of them were