We live in a world of reports. Every single day, we are bombarded with them. The news anchor gives a report on the state of the world. The doctor gives a report on the state of your health. Your bank account gives a report on the state of your finances. And in your own mind, the voice of doubt, fear, and past experience gives its own constant report.
These reports are often loud, intimidating, and backed by “facts.” They have the power to define our reality, to steal our peace, and to shrink our God-given potential. We see the giants in the land and we hear the voices that say, “It’s impossible,” “You’re not good enough,” “It’s too late.”
But there is another report. It is a report that is ancient, unchanging, and spoken from the throne of Heaven. It is the report of God’s promises. The entire Christian life comes down to one simple, profound question that we must answer not just once, but every single day, in every single situation: Whose report will you believe?
Main Scripture: Isaiah 53:1 (KJV)
“Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?”
Quick Insights
- Faith is not ignoring the “facts” of your situation; it is elevating God’s Truth above those facts.
- Your circumstances are a report, but God’s promise is the final verdict.
- Doubt is a spiritual fog that magnifies the problem; Faith is a spiritual lens that magnifies God.
- What you choose to listen to will determine what you ultimately believe.
- The “bad news” from the world is loud, but the Good News of the Gospel is eternal.
- Believing God’s report in the face of contradiction is the highest form of worship.
Illustration
This is not a new problem. Imagine the 12 spies returning from the Promised Land in Numbers 13. All twelve saw the exact same things. They all saw the same fortified cities. They all saw the same intimidating giants. And they all saw the same abundant, oversized fruit. They all had the same “facts.”
But they returned with two completely different reports.
Ten of the spies came back with the “report of the senses.” They said, “The giants are too big, the walls are too high, and we are like grasshoppers in our own eyes.” It was a report of fear, and it was based on what they saw.
But two men, Joshua and Caleb, came back with the “report of faith.” They saw the same giants and the same walls, but they remembered God’s promise. They said, “Yes, there are giants, but the LORD is with us! We can certainly do it.”
The facts were the same, but the report they chose to believe determined their destiny. The ten died in the wilderness. The two entered the promise. We are all faced with the same choice today.
1. The Roar of the Giants
We must first be honest: the “bad report” is loud. It’s convincing. The 10 spies weren’t lying; they did see giants. When you receive a difficult diagnosis, the medical chart is real. When your finances are in crisis, the bills are real. This is the report of the senses.
This report is designed to do one thing: produce fear. And the goal of that fear is to make you see yourself as a grasshopper.
📖 Numbers 13:33 (NIV)
“We saw the Nephilim there… We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Notice the progression. First, they saw themselves as grasshoppers. Then they assumed the enemy saw them as grasshoppers. Fear always distorts your identity first. The enemy’s report will always try to convince you that you are small and your problem is big.
2. The Weight of the Promise
Joshua and Caleb were not in denial. They saw the giants. But they had a different focus. They were not focused on the size of the giants; they were focused on the size of their God. Their report was not based on the “facts” of the land, but on the “truth” of God’s promise.
This is the report of faith. It doesn’t deny the problem, but it defies the problem’s power to have the last word.
📖 Numbers 14:8-9 (NIV)
“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. 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.”
Caleb’s report said, “Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us.” He was saying that the enemy’s report looks powerful, but its true authority has been removed. The report of faith sees the promise as more real than the problem.
3. Tuning to the Right Frequency
So, how do we believe God’s report when the world’s report is shouting at us? The answer is in hearing. Faith and fear are both products of what we listen to. If you spend all day listening to the news, to social media, and to the voice of doubt, you will be filled with fear.
We must intentionally tune our ears to the report of the Lord.
📖 Romans 10:17 (NIV)
“Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Faith is not something you just “have.” It is a response to what you have heard. You cannot believe a report you have not heard. If you want to believe God’s report, you must get into God’s Word. You must surround yourself with His promises, with worship, and with the testimony of other believers. You must feed your faith and starve your doubt.
4. Declaring Your Verdict
True belief is never silent. It is not passive. Once you have chosen which report to believe, you must declare it. Your mouth is the gavel that decides which report will be final in your life.
The 10 spies spoke their fear and it became their reality. Joshua and Caleb spoke their faith and it became their inheritance.
📖 2 Corinthians 4:13 (NIV)
“It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.”
We are called to speak God’s report. When the world reports sickness, we report, “By His stripes, I am healed.” When the world reports lack, we report, “My God shall supply all my needs.” When the world reports fear, we report, “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind.” Speaking God’s report is how we bring the reality of Heaven into the circumstances of Earth.
Conclusion
Quote: “Your circumstances are a report, but the Word of God is the verdict.”
Theological Point: God has given us two powerful tools: His Word and our voice. His Word is His report. Our voice is our choice. True faith is the courageous act of aligning our voice with His Word, declaring His report as the ultimate truth, regardless of the conflicting reports from our senses.
Prayer Guide: Take a moment and identify the “bad report” that has been echoing in your mind. The report of fear, of lack, of sickness, or of failure. Now, bring that report before God. Ask Him to show you His report from His Word that contradicts it. Ask for the courage of Joshua and Caleb, to silence the 10 voices of fear and to raise the one voice of faith.
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