Living Eyes Up
Numbers 13 and 14
Introduction:
Several years ago, I arranged a meeting between my oldest son, Jonathan, and a very successful entrepreneur in our city. At the time, Jonathan was still in high school and beginning to think about his future. He had shown some interest in business and leadership, and I thought it might be helpful for him to sit down with someone who had built something, led well, and could speak into his life from experience.
My hope was that maybe this would become the beginning of a mentoring relationship. As the conversation began, I mostly sat back and listened. What stood out to me was that this leader didn’t begin by talking about money, strategy, business plans, or career paths. He started with something deeper. He asked questions that revealed Jonathan’s vision, attitude, outlook, and perspective. Before he talked to him about what he wanted to do, he wanted to understand how he saw life.
At one point, he looked at my son and said, “Jonathan, in this life, you usually find what you’re looking for.” (While that was meant for my son, it hit me hard. And, I’ve never forgotten it!)
He went on to explain that the way we see life often shapes the way we experience life. If we’re constantly looking for what’s wrong, we’ll find it. If we’re always searching for what’s missing, broken, disappointing, or frustrating, we won’t have to look very long. There’s always something that could discourage us. There’s always some problem, some burden, or some reason to lower our expectations.
But the opposite is also true. If we’re looking for the hand of God, we’ll begin to notice His faithfulness. If we’re watching for His goodness, we’ll begin to see evidence of His grace. If we’re listening for hope, we’ll begin to hear more than the noise of fear.
That conversation has stayed with me because it speaks to one of the defining choices of faith: will we let what we see determine what we believe, or will we let what God has spoken shape how we see?
That’s why Numbers 13 and 14 is so powerful. Israel is standing at the edge of promise. God has delivered them from Egypt, brought them through the Red Sea, provided for them in the wilderness, and proven His faithfulness again and again. But when the spies return from Canaan, the people have to decide which report they will believe.
Will they focus on the giants, or will they trust the God who brought them this far?
And that’s still the question for us.
If we only look for giants, we’ll miss the fruit of the promise. If we only rehearse what could go wrong, we’ll struggle to recognize where God is already working. But faith lifts its eyes and says, “God is still good. God is still faithful. God is still able. And the God who brought me this far can lead me forward from here.”
Psalm 121 gives us the posture of faith, as the writer says:
“I lift up my eyes…” – Psalm 121:1
That’s the heart of this message. We’re not called to live eyes down, always expecting the worst. We’re called to live eyes up, watching for the goodness of God. Hopeful, faith-filled, and confident that the God who has been faithful will be faithful again.
Transition:
If you’ve got your Bible, turn with me to the Old Testament book of Numbers.
In Numbers 13:1–2, the Lord tells Moses to send men to explore the land of Canaan.
Listen to the way these verses tell the story. In verse 1 it says:
1 “The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” – Numbers 13:1-2
Notice again, this was the land He was giving to Israel. That detail matters!
They weren’t exploring a possibility. They were surveying a promise!
God had already said the land was His gift to them. Their mission wasn’t to decide whether God could accomplish what He promised. Their mission was to see the goodness of what God was bringing them into.
So Moses chooses twelve men, one leader from each tribe. Numbers 13:3 tells us,
“All of them were leaders of the Israelites.” – Numbers 13:3
That matters because their report would carry weight. What they saw, and how they shared what they saw, would help shape the faith, or the fear, of the entire congregation.
For forty days, they explored the land. In Numbers 13:23, they came to the Valley of Eshkol and cut down a cluster of grapes so large it had to be carried on a pole between two men. They also brought back pomegranates and figs. In other words, the land was fruitful. The promise was good. God had not exaggerated. They were holding evidence that His Word could be trusted.
When they return in Numbers 13:26–27, they begin with the truth.
27 They gave Moses this account: “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. 28 But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there. 29 The Amalekites live in the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live near the sea and along the Jordan.” – Numbers 13:26–27
So, they began by telling Moses, Aaron, and the whole nation that the land really does flow with milk and honey, and they even show them the fruit they harvested along the way.
But in Numbers 13:28, they continue with one word that changed everything. They said, “But…”
- The land is good, BUT the people are powerful.
- The promise is fruitful, BUT the cities are fortified.
- God has spoken, BUT the giants are there.
And, by verse 32, their report shifts from honest observation to a fear-filled conclusion! The problem was not simply what they saw in the land. The problem was that they lost sight of God in the middle of it all.
And what happened to them can happen to us, as well. When we lose sight of God’s faithfulness, everything else gets exaggerated. The obstacles get bigger. The burdens get heavier. And, the future grows darker.
But when we lift our eyes to the Lord and remember His promises, we see things properly.
So with that in mind, I want to make a few observations from this story and help us apply God’s Word to our lives.
The first thing I want to remind you of is this:
1. Lift Your Eyes Above the Obstacles
That’s what it means to live by faith. It’s looking up! Now, don’t misunderstand me, living by faith isn’t about denying the reality of your obstacles, but it is refusing to allow them to become the centerpiece of your life!
In this story, twelve spies were sent out to explore the land, but when they returned, ten came back with a negative report. So, rather than seeing the wonder of the land, they only saw the challenges.
They weren’t wrong in identifying challenges before them — but they allowed their fear to dominate their faith. And it limited them from seeing the miracles that God wanted to do in their lives.
The problem wasn’t that they saw obstacles before them, but that they allowed the obstacles to stand larger than the promises of God’s Word. And, that’s a danger for all of us.
The report in Numbers 13:31–33 was not negative because every detail was false. It was negative because their conclusion left God out pf the equation.
They said, “We can’t.” But God had already said, “I am giving you the land.”
Faith does not ignore reality. Faith includes God in reality. Faith is not pretending the diagnosis isn’t serious. It’s saying, “God is my healer and strength.” Faith is not pretending the family doesn’t have issues. It’s saying, “God is able to redeem and restore.” Faith is not pretending the church doesn’t have challenges. It’s saying, “Jesus is still building His church.”
That is why Caleb’s response in Numbers 13:30 is so important. While others are speaking fear, Caleb says they should go up and take possession of the land. He saw the same land, the same grapes, the same cities, and the same giants, but he carried a different report because he had a different spirit.
Later, in Numbers 14:24, God says Caleb had “a different spirit” and followed Him wholeheartedly. That is the kind of spirit we need. We need a spirit that sees the problem but trusts the promise. We need a spirit that recognizes the giants but refuses to magnify them above God. We need a spirit that can stand in the face of difficulty and say, “The obstacle is real, but God is greater.”
Psalm 121:1–2 gives language to this kind of faith. “I lift up my eyes.” My help does not come from the ease of my circumstances, the strength of my resources, or the absence of difficulty. My help comes from the Lord. That’s not denial. That’s perspective. It’s the faith-filled decision to make God the highest thing in my field of vision.
There’s a reason the windshield in your vehicle is much larger than the rearview mirror. You need the rearview mirror. It helps you remember where you’ve been. But you were never meant to drive forward while staring backward.
Israel had a rearview mirror full of miracles: Egypt, the Red Sea, manna, water from the rock, and the presence of God leading them through the wilderness. But at Kadesh, they let fear fill the windshield. The giants in front of them became bigger than the faithfulness behind them.
That can happen to us too. Some people are trying to move forward while staring into the rearview mirror of disappointment. They remember who left, what failed, who hurt them, or the season that didn’t turn out the way they hoped. And I’m not minimizing that. The pain may be real. The lesson may be important. But you cannot live eyes up if your vision is dominated by what went wrong.
Faith says, “I remember what God has brought me through, and I’m watching for what God is about to do.” Faith learns from yesterday without surrendering tomorrow.
For some of us, the obstacle has become the loudest voice in our lives. It may be a family concern, financial pressure, emotional weariness, or disappointment that has lingered longer than expected. But the obstacle is real. It is not sovereign. The problem is real. It is not Lord. The giant is real. It is not greater than God.
The same God who brought Israel out of Egypt was able to bring them into Canaan. And the same God who has carried you this far is able to lead you forward from here.
But living eyes up is not only about what we see. It is also about what we say. Because what fills our vision eventually shapes our report.
2. Refuse to Carry a Negative Report
The second point I want to make from this passage is that as God’s people, we must refuse to carry a negative report.
In Numbers 13:32, we’re given a summary of the report that ten of the spies gave. It says,
32 “And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored.” – Numbers 13:32
That means their fear wasn’t contained — it spread. Like a virus, it infected their nation.
And as the story continues, we see the damage it caused. Their words stirred fear, shaped the mindset of the people, and caused them to question God, Moses, and the future God had promised them. By the time we get to Numbers 14, the whole nation is weeping, grumbling, and talking about going back to Egypt.
That is the power of a negative report. It can make people forget what God has done. It can make bondage look better than freedom. It can make the past look safer than the promise.
That’s why our words matter. The way we describe a situation can either stir faith or spread fear. When we speak from fear, others feel the anxiety. When we speak from cynicism, others feel the discouragement. But when we speak from faith, people breathe in hope.
Now, this doesn’t mean we exaggerate, manipulate, or pretend everything is wonderful when it’s not. Faith isn’t political spin, and genuine hope is never hype. But there is a way to tell the truth without collapsing into despair. There’s a way to acknowledge the challenges before us while still declaring our confidence in the faithfulness of God.
And that’s exactly what Joshua and Caleb did in Numbers 14:7–9. Here they said,
7 …“The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. 9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” – Numbers 14:7–9
I want to point out that Joshua and Caleb saw what the others saw, but they refused to say what the others said. They heard the fear, but they didn’t join the fear. They felt the very same pressure, but they weren’t willing to surrender the promises of God.
And, that’s a word for us.
Listen, Every one of us brings something into the rooms we enter. Some people bring anxiety. Some bring criticism. Some bring discouragement. But God’s people are called to bring faith, hope, peace, and courage. Not because we’re unaware of the difficulty, but because we’ve been with God.
Joshua and Caleb brought different weather into the room or space in which they walked into. In Numbers 14:6–9. The nation was weeping. The people were grumbling. And, the place was full of fear. But Joshua and Caleb stood up in the midst of it all, and tried to turn the people’s attention back toward God. That’s a great picture of spiritual leadership!
It’s worth asking: What kind of weather do we bring into the rooms we enter? What do we bring into our homes, our conversations, our workplaces, and our church? Do our words make the room heavier or more hopeful? When we talk about the future, do we sound like people who believe God is still working?
Biblical hope is not a personality type. It’s a spiritual posture. It’s the decision to let God’s Word have the final word in our hearts before our words shape the hearts of others.
So guard your report.
Before you speak, ask yourself: Am I interpreting this through fear or through faith? Am I helping people see God, or am I only helping them see giants? Am I describing a problem, or am I spreading discouragement?
We are people of the gospel. And the “gospel” means good news.
How strange it would be for people of good news to become known for bad reports.
We can be honest and hopeful. We can be realistic and faith-filled. We can say, “This is where we are,” while also declaring, “This is not where God has to leave us.”
But if we’re going to carry a hopeful report, our hope has to be rooted in something deeper than personality, preference, or temporary circumstances. That’s what Joshua and Caleb show us. Their confidence was not in Israel’s strength. Their confidence was in God’s character.
3. Anchor Your Hope in the Character of God
The third observation I want to make is this: biblical hope is anchored in the character of God, not the convenience of our circumstances.
In Numbers 14:8–9, Joshua and Caleb point the people back to the Lord. Their confidence was not in Israel’s strength, their military ability, or their wilderness experience. Their confidence was anchored in the presence and promise of God. They essentially say, “The Lord is with us. Do not be afraid.”
That line changes everything.
If the Lord is with us, the giants are not ultimate. If the Lord is with us, the fortified cities are not final. If the Lord is with us, fear does not get to lead. If the Lord is with us, the promise is still possible.
That was the real issue at Kadesh. Would Israel trust the faithfulness of the God who had promised, or would they let fear rewrite their theology? Would they remember the God who delivered them from Egypt, or would they magnify the giants in front of them?
And that’s often the issue in our lives too. Circumstances change. People come and go. Energy rises and falls. Some prayers are answered quickly, while others require long obedience. If our hope is tied only to what we can see, then our hope will rise and fall with every report.
But Christian hope is anchored deeper than that. God’s character is the anchor. God’s Word is the foundation. God’s presence is the assurance. God’s goodness is our confidence.
That’s why Psalm 23:6 speaks so beautifully into this message. David does not describe a life without valleys, shadows, or enemies. But he does describe a life with a Shepherd. And because the Shepherd is with him, David can believe that goodness and mercy will follow him all the days of his life.
That is not shallow optimism. That is covenant confidence.
Joshua and Caleb carried that same kind of confidence. They didn’t say, “There are no giants.” They said, “The Lord is with us.” That’s the difference between optimism and biblical hope. Optimism says, “Everything will be easy.” But biblical hope says, “God will be faithful!”
Listen, having an anchor in the water isn’t critical when the sea is calm. But when the wind rises, the currents pull, and the waters begin to swell, well — that’s when having an anchor dropped down deep in to the seas foundation matters most.
And for you and me, our hope in Christ is the anchor of our souls. It’s not an anchor because it removes us from the storms of life. To the contrary, our hope in Christ is our anchor because it’s what holds us steady when storms surge and winds blow.
That’s the kind of hope we need. Not a hope that depends on every problem disappearing, but a hope that remains steady because God is faithful.
Some of us need to remember where our hope really lives. It does not live in perfect circumstances, predictable outcomes, full rooms, smooth seasons, or good reports. Our hope lives in God. The God who called us. The God who saved us. The God who filled us with His Spirit. The God who has carried us before and will carry us again.
If He kept you then, He can keep you now. If He led you before, He can lead you again. If He was good in the last season, He will be good in this one too.
In Romans 15:13, Paul refers to Christ as “the God of hope.” That means hope is not merely something God gives. Hope is rooted in who He is. And when we are filled with Him, we can overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Well, that brings us to the final movement. Hope that is anchored in God does not stay private. It becomes a witness. It becomes leadership. It becomes courage. It becomes a report that helps others lift their eyes too.
4. Become a Forerunner of Hope
The final movement of this sermon is this: God’s people are not just called to possess hope. We are called to carry it.
In Numbers 14:6–9, Joshua and Caleb stand before a frightened congregation and call them to trust God. They are not merely hopeful in private. They are courageous in public. They remind the people that the land is good, warn them not to rebel against the Lord, and call them not to be afraid. Most importantly, they declare that the Lord is with them.
That is what faith-filled people do. They help others see God.
Not just the obstacle. Not just the conflict. Not just the complaint. Not just the uncertainty. They help people lift their eyes and remember the faithfulness of the Lord.
That is why this passage matters for all of us. People around you are listening for your report. Your family is listening. Your friends are listening. Your church is listening. The next generation is listening. And in a world filled with anxiety, criticism, suspicion, and despair, the church needs men and women who will become forerunners of hope.
We need people who speak hope, pray with hope, serve with hope, and help create communities of hope. Not because everything is easy. Not because the giants are gone. Not because obedience requires no courage. But because God is with us.
We are resurrection people. We do not follow a defeated Savior. We do not preach a dead gospel. We do not serve a powerless King. We belong to the One who walked out of the grave, and because He lives, despair never gets the final word.
Think about someone walking ahead with a lantern on a dark trail. The lantern does not remove all the darkness. It does not show every mile ahead. It does not answer every question about the journey. But it gives enough light for the next step.
That is what hope does!
Joshua and Caleb were holding up a lantern in Numbers 14. The people were afraid. They wanted to go back. The atmosphere was dark and filled with unbelief. But in that moment, in that place, Joshua and Caleb stood tall — and with their eyes lifted up said:
7“The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. 8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land…and will give it to us. 9 …do not be afraid…the Lord is with us.” – Numbers 14:7-9
Sometimes the greatest gift you can give in moments of crisis is not a perfect plan, but a faithful reminder that God is still with you!
So what does it mean to you and me? It means we choose prayer instead of panic; we bless more than we criticize; we look for evidence of God’s grace; we speak life over things that appear unfinished; and we always remind ourselves of God’s promises.
In short — it means we live eyes up. Full of hope and confidence in our great God!
Conclusion:
Maybe the Lord is calling some of us today to lift our eyes again.
For some, your eyes have been down because you’re tired. You’ve carried burdens, walked through disappointment, faced conflict, and tried to stay faithful. But somewhere along the way, your expectation shifted. You still believe in God, but you’ve stopped expecting much. You still pray, but maybe not with the same confidence.
If that’s you — today, the Lord is inviting you to lift your eyes, again. To look up and see beyond your obstacles. Today, God is calling you to refuse to carry a negative report. To anchor your hope in His promises, and to become a forerunner of hope for others.
Your giants may be real, but God is greater. Your valley may be dark, but the Good Shepherd is with you. Your burden may be heavy, but God’s goodness and mercy are still with you.
So don’t live eyes down. Don’t let fear write your report. Don’t let disappointment determine your theology.
Lift your eyes! Because your help comes from the Lord.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come to you today with a simple request: Lift our eyes again! Forgive us for the times we have allowed fear, frustration, or disappointment to shape our expectations more than Your Word. Forgive us for the moments when we have carried a negative report instead of a faith-filled witness. Help us lift our eyes to see You clearly. Help us remember Your faithfulness. Help us anchor our hope in Your character and not our circumstances.
Empower us to be people who carry hope into our homes, and our ministries, and our church. May we live eyes up, hearts full, and spirits anchored in Your goodness. We pray this in Jesus’ name, amen.