WARNING ON ONLY FIXING OUR EYES ON THE PROBLEM

While the Israelites were traveling through the Sinai desert, God ordered Moses to send 12 spies to the land of Canaan, which God had promised them to possess. God wanted them to know what the cities, land, and people looked like. God also encouraged them to make an effort to get some fruit from the land so that they may taste it. The whole purpose of spying out the promised land was to inspire the Israelites that there was a good future ahead of them, but they must trust Him completely. When the 12 spies came back from spying on the land for 40 days, they all reported how the land was very fruitful. Still, ten out of the twelve spies reported how the people in the promised land were giants and mighty. The cities were fortified, which they believed they couldn't conquer. They felt like grasshoppers in the sight of the people. When the people heard the report, they immediately complained and grumbled to Moses and God instead of trusting in God's promise (Numbers 14). Psalm 106:24-27 says, "The people refused to enter the pleasant land, for they wouldn't believe his promise to care for them. Instead, they grumbled in their tents and refused to obey the Lord. Therefore, he solemnly swore that he would kill them in the wilderness, that he would scatter their descendants among the nations, exiling them to distant lands."

The Israelites' problem was that they focused on the problem rather than on God's promise. The two spies (Caleb and Joshua), who believed in God's promise, believed that they could conquer the land because God would give them victory. However, the ten spies could only see the problem at hand. As a result, they failed to enter the promised land. Only Caleb, Joshua, and the new generations of Israelites were able to enter the promised land. When we encounter great problems, we must not panic but immediately fix our eyes and hope in our God, for He is the one who is going to take care of us and give us victory. We must hold on to His promises so that our faith in God overcomes our fear. When we go through problems and still have peace in our hearts, it shows we are walking in our faith in God. No matter how difficult our situations may seem, God's promise will hold us together; therefore, we must believe and rest in Him. As we trust in God in our problems, He is going to guide us and give us the wisdom to go through them. 

Focusing on our problems without trusting God's promise will not help us solve them. We must seek and trust God in the midst of our problems, and He will give us strength, courage, peace, wisdom, resources, and solutions. 

Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What must I do when I face difficult problems? Do I believe in God's promises? Is there a problem that I am facing right now that I am having difficulty trusting God? Why?

Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.

Prayer:

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for your promises that you will take care of me forever. I believe that there is no problem that you cannot fix. Please help me fix my eyes on you beyond my problems so that I may have the peace and confidence that only you can give. No matter what happens in this world, I thank you for always taking care of me. In your name, Jesus, I pray. Amen.