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How to survive a bad report


When God lead the people of Israel out of Egypt through Moses, they sent spies to explore the promised land.  They came back with this bad report.  


Numbers 13:26-33  (NKJV)
26 Now they departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children 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 Then they told him, and said: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. 


The spies recognized how good the land was; however, they focused on the obstacles of ever having it.    


28 Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. 
30 Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.”
31 But the men who had gone up with him said, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.” 


The spies were double minded and their report of negativity effected everybody.  


32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, “The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 
33 There we saw the ]giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like[c] grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”


When you get a bad report, watch what you believe, say, and do. Hold on to the promises of God by faith like a life preserver.


When you don't know all the details, you do know the right response which is having faith in God.  God will be helping you.  Telling you what to do.


Psalm 23:4 New King James Version (NKJV)
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.


Choose to believe in God instead of doubting Him.  Bite your lip and refuse to offend God by saying He's untrustworthy.  Refuse to accept thoughts of fear.


Say words like these...

Isaiah 40:28-31 (NKJV)
28 Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the Lord,
The Creator of the ends of the earth,
Neither faints nor is weary.
His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
31 But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.


Arising on wings of an eagle will shrink the size of your problems in your perspective. 


Anything that takes your peace is Satan trying to rob you of God's favor.  Don't let unbelieving people talk you out of God's favor.  


Go into resist mood.  Don't let unbelieving people rob you of God's promises.  Find a faith buddy.  If you don't have one, make one.


Joshua had a faith buddy named Caleb in his crisis.


Numbers 14 (NKJV)

1 So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night.  
6 But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; 
7 and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. 
8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.’ 
9 Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”
10 And all the congregation said to stone them with stones. Now the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before all the children of Israel.  


They all saw the same thing, but Joshua and Caleb saw God in the midst of their crisis.  They said conquering the land would be easy with God's help.


Here are some things that we can say when terrible things happen. 




Philippians 4:13  (NKJV)
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.


Romans 8:31  (NKJV)
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?


Romans 8:28  (NKJV)
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.


Keith Moore, Faith Life Church

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