Is God Giving You a Trial or an Opportunity?
Sometimes, a problem and an opportunity are really two different ways of viewing the same issue.
Two people can be presented with the same scenario and see it differently. One might see the scenario as a problem, an obstacle, or a setback that impedes progress. Another person might look at the same situation and see a chance to rise and meet the challenge, to flex their problem-solving muscles, or to grow through adversity.
Much of this depends on attitude. Our mindset and personality often dictate the lens through which we view issues that arise in our work, relationships, finances, and so on. We get to choose how we will perceive them: as problems or opportunities.
However, there is another lens through which we can choose to see the issues we face, one that goes far beyond attitude or personality. It’s the lens of our faith. As Christ-followers, it’s the primary lens we must use to view the issues that crop up in our lives.
An incredibly powerful example of this comes from what may, at first glance, seem to be an unlikely source.
You remember Caleb, don’t you? When we encounter him, Moses had just sent the 12 spies into the Promised Land in preparation for God’s people to take it over. Remember that all 12 spies reported that it was an impressive piece of land. And yet 10 of these men said there was no chance that God’s people could inhabit it.
There were too many challenges and roadblocks. It was a cool place, but the obstacles were too great to overcome. The lens they used to see the scenario at hand dictated their response.
Joshua and Caleb chose a different lens. Only Joshua and Caleb saw the challenges and felt God about them. Why? Because they chose to view the scenario in front of them through the lens of their faith in the person and work of God. They knew God. They had seen Him do unbelievable things to rescue them from slavery in Egypt. At that moment, they certainly had no idea how God would overcome the challenges set before them, but they believed God was powerful enough to keep His promise.
Joshua and Caleb stood up to the ten other guys. We’ve got this, they said. This will be an awesome opportunity for us to experience how God will get us through it. Won’t it be cool? (Or something like that.)
We know what happened. In response to the lack of faith from the ten spies and, in turn, the people, God pronounced judgment on Israel. But in the midst of this, God says something powerful about Caleb, something that is key for us as we seek to model the way he responds to adversity:
“But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it” (Numbers 14:24).
“But my servant Caleb . . .” I love this contrast. God singles out and praises Caleb (and Joshua). Because they had honored God, God honored them. God saw their faithfulness in the face of a tidal wave of opposition and rewarded them.
What does this have to do with how we approach obstacles or trials? The truth is in what God said about Caleb’s outlook on things.
God said Caleb “had a different spirit and has followed me fully.” As you face the uncertainty of daily life, how is your spirit? Is it one of boldness and faith? Are you following God fully, trusting that He has gone before you and walks with you in every difficulty?
I look at Caleb, and I want to have his spirit. I see three lessons in the way he responded to the obstacles in his path.
First, Caleb acted on his faith in God, not his understanding.
The report of the ten spies who doubted God’s promise was probably a logical assessment based on what they saw with their eyes. But Caleb saw with his faith. He believed God could and would overcome any perceived obstacle because He had promised He would.
When we face challenges, we must rely upon God and His faithfulness and not always on our assessment of the problem. Take God at His Word. He doesn’t make promises He doesn’t keep.
Second, Caleb wasn’t afraid of making an unpopular decision.
What we don’t read in this passage is that the people tried to kill Joshua and Caleb when they stood on their faith in God. That’s a harsh response! We often encounter people who oppose the decisions we make based on our faith. Maybe they mean well and just want us to consider the “practical” side of things or to be “logical.” Certainly, we must have discernment and surround ourselves with wise counsel when dealing with adversity. But it’s never the wrong decision to stand on God’s truth. Opposition may come. But God honors those who “follow Him fully.”
Third, I believe God honors our trust in Him.
God saw Joshua and Caleb. Their faithfulness was noticed and rewarded. Did they still experience hardship? They did. They were not excused from the trials their people experienced because of the Israelite’s unfaithfulness. But in the end, Joshua and Caleb experienced the reward of God’s promise. And both were explicitly blessed by God for their bold faith years after the fact. When we choose to act in faith, it is God-honoring, and God honors our faithfulness.
There’s no doubt that facing all that life throws in our path can be challenging. But God’s desire is for us to model Caleb’s posture, approaching what lies ahead with a “different spirit,” a spirit that knows that our deliverance comes from God and trusts Him to work according to His Word.
This article originally appeared in Volume 30 of my free newsletter, Good For You.
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