What Do You See? God’s Promises and Courageous Faith
Twelve men stood in the same place, looking at the same evidence of God's faithfulness — and walked away with two completely different stories.
This episode’s a little different and it happens to be our first bonus episode on the podcast. It comes from a message Valerie gave at a women’s conference last spring. Drawing from Numbers 13–14, she walks through the moment twelve spies returned from exploring the Promised Land with the exact same information and two different perspectives. Ten saw giants. Two, Caleb and Joshua, saw God's faithfulness. Valerie unpacks what actually made the difference, and what it costs when we let fear get the best of us when God’s asking us to obey.
In This Episode, You’ll Discover:
Why two people can stand in the exact same moment and walk away with two entirely different stories.
The "invisible backpack" every one of us carries and how it quietly shapes what we actually see.
What happened when the twelve spies returned from exploring the Promised Land (Numbers 13–14).
Why the real problem was never the giants and what Caleb and Joshua saw that the other ten didn't.
What it means to walk into your next promise with courageous faith instead of waiting for more clarity.
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Bonus Episode | What Do You See? Truth About God’s Promises and Courageous Faith
Welcome to The Purpose Project Podcast
Hey, friend. Welcome to The Purpose Project Podcast, where we talk about what it really looks like to live, love, and lead with purpose and authenticity in the messy middle — that space between where you are and where you want to be. I'm Valerie Jones, a Christian life and leadership coach, and around here we don't do hustle culture, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or self-help band-aids. Instead, we're all about biblical truth, brain-based tools, and emotional health — so you can walk out your calling with courage without burning out or sacrificing what matters most. Each episode we'll dive into real life stories, engaging conversations, and relatable teaching moments to help you get out of your head and into the life God's calling you to live. Whether you're navigating change, feeling overwhelmed, craving clarity, or just trying to feel like yourself again — take a breath and lean in. You're in the right place. Let's dive in.
A Message Worth Bringing Here
Well, hey friend, welcome back to the podcast. I wanted to give some quick context before we dive into the episode this week. One of my favorite things that I get the opportunity to do is speak at different women's events, and I had the chance to go back to one of my favorite ladies' conferences in April and share this message.
Every now and then, if you're paying attention, you'll recognize certain themes or threads of truth that God seems to be speaking through different voices in different parts of the big-C Church at the same time. This is one of those talks — as I was preparing it, I knew it was specific to the room that weekend, but I also knew and felt deeply that it would serve other women well beyond that room.
I started seeing and hearing variations of the same idea, and sometimes, for me, that's one way the Holy Spirit confirms a direction as I pray and prepare. So I've decided to bring this message here to you as a bonus episode, believing that God can and will use it powerfully in your life as you lean in.
What Do You See?
So let's jump right in. If we were together in a small group in a coffee shop — that would be delightful, by the way — and I showed you a photo, say, of a well-known piece of art, and I asked you, "What do you see?" it's almost guaranteed I'm going to get a variety of different answers. We would see the photo differently. We would notice different things about it. Same picture, simple question, but different ideas.
It's the same kind of thing that happens when two people watch a movie and come away with two different explanations of what happened. Or after a family takes a vacation, you ask them, "How was the trip?" and you get different summaries from different people in the family. We've all probably experienced something like that in one way or another. Two people can stand in the same moment with the same opportunity in front of them and have two entirely different outcomes.
And why is that? It's because we don't walk into any given situation empty-handed. We bring a unique set of ideas and perspectives to the table.
I want you to think about it like this: imagine that every one of us carries around an invisible backpack that we've been filling up our entire lives — with stories and experiences, with ideas and beliefs, with mindsets, with labels even, that we've picked up along the way. We collect all of these things and put them in our backpack, and we take them with us everywhere that we go.
Whether you realize it or not, the things in our backpack are the things that shape the way we see and think about the world. They affect how we show up, what we do, and the decisions and choices we make. It's why two people can look at the exact same situation and interpret it entirely differently.
So I want us to go to a moment in Scripture — Numbers chapters 13 and 14 — where something like this is happening.
Twelve Men, One Land
A group of twelve men are standing in the exact same moment, with the same information and the same opportunity in front of them, and they come away with two different stories. It's a defining moment for God's people.
In Numbers 13, we find the nation of Israel camping on the edge of the Promised Land. It's been a little more than a year since they were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and they've seen God do some really incredible things. They've witnessed undeniable miracles. And they've been moving toward this God-given promise for generations — it's been hundreds of years since God told Abraham that He would give His people a land of their own, a land flowing with milk and honey. This is the more-than-you-can-ask-or-imagine kind of stuff.
They are literally approaching this land for the very first time, and God tells Moses to send twelve men out to explore it and bring back a report. So Moses chooses one leader from every tribe and tells them, "Go and find out everything you possibly can about this land and about the people who live there." He wanted to know about the cities, the towns, the size and the strength of the people. He told them to bring back a sample of the fruit.
Now, the goal here wasn't just information or strategy. I'm sure that was part of it, but exploring the land was also intended to increase their faith. It was meant to encourage them with tangible proof of a promise that was right in front of them, because in order to possess the land, they had a long road ahead of them.
I want to pause here for a minute on the fact that God was giving them the land. That's very clear in Scripture, and it's an important point. Every time the land is mentioned in this context, it comes with that clarification. When God talks about the land, He says, "the land that I am giving you." When Moses talks about the land, he says, "the land that God is giving you." The outcome was never in question. The land was theirs.
The Report That Changed Everything
So the twelve men did what Moses asked. They were gone for forty days, and they came back with a report: yes, the land is indeed flowing with milk and honey. It's everything God said it would be. They brought back a cluster of grapes so large it took two men to carry it. But the conversation shifted — and the very next verse starts like this: "But..."
Isn't there always a but? Verse 28 says, "But the people living there are powerful, and the towns are large and fortified. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak." By giants, they mean Goliath-sized men. They go on to list the names of all the enemy tribes scattered throughout the land, and suddenly, what was meant to be a moment of encouragement and confirmation turned into a crisis of faith.
Even with tangible proof in hand — that giant cluster of grapes — most of these men couldn't see past the obstacles. A few verses later, a man named Caleb, one of the twelve, speaks up. He tries to calm the others down. He encourages them and insists they should go right away and take the land, because God was giving it to them. But the others couldn't be convinced. They spread a bad report through the whole camp. In Numbers 13:32, they said, "The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants. To ourselves, we seemed like grasshoppers, and we must have seemed the same to them."
That was their report. No mention of God, no mention of His promise. Fear got the best of them. And listen — that might have been an understandable reaction, at least initially, except that they had this history with God. They had just been delivered from Egypt. They'd seen Him part the Red Sea. They'd eaten manna from heaven day after day. They'd witnessed miracle after miracle. But in that moment, either they couldn't seem to remember that, or it didn't seem to matter.
When we don't challenge fear, it keeps us from seeing the things we need to see. So as this report spread through the camp, feelings of fear and panic spread right along with it, until the entire camp was in turmoil — angry, weeping, complaining, grieving. By chapter 14, they were saying things like, "If only we had died in Egypt. If only we had died in the wilderness. Why did God bring us out here just to let us die in battle? Wouldn't it be better if we just went back to Egypt?"
Do you feel the weight of what's happening here? This is a really big deal. Again — they are standing right on the edge of everything God's promised them, with proof of the promise in hand, with tons of evidence of God's goodness behind them in every part of their story, and they're opting out. They're saying, "We would rather choose what's familiar, even if it means going back to slavery, over the promise of God" — because they wanted something predictable, something comfortable.
They didn't want to walk with God into the unknown. There were just too many unanswered questions, too many things ahead of them that were clearly beyond their control. It's like they were saying, "God, we're going to pass. Your word, your promise — it's not quite enough."
What They Failed to See
Self-preservation and comfort — those things can be powerful motivators. They can become idols in our lives that keep us stuck in places we're not meant to be. God did not call us to be comfortable, and He wasn't calling them to be comfortable. God called them to be courageous, to be obedient, to trust Him.
But they were so focused on the wrong things that they were willing to forfeit everything God was giving them. That is what fear does. They weren't wrong about the giants. They weren't wrong about the fortified cities. Those were very real challenges. The problem wasn't what they saw — it's what they failed to see. The problem was that they left God completely out of the equation.
As it turns out, the giant men and the fortified cities weren't really the biggest issue. It was their vision. It was their mindset. It was their perception, their negativity, their fear of man, and their insecurity. They allowed their feelings about the situation and their limiting beliefs about themselves to keep them from seeing God clearly, which ultimately kept them from having what God promised them, because it led to disobedience.
It cost them everything. And all but two of the twelve — really, all but two of the men in the entire camp — saw it this way.
Caleb and Joshua: A Different Story
Those two, Caleb and Joshua, explored the same land. They saw the same giants. They saw the same cities. They carried home those same enormous grapes. And they told a different story. Do you know why?
Scripture tells us that Caleb followed the Lord with wholehearted devotion, and Joshua loved to linger in God's presence. The difference was relationship. They knew God deeply and personally, and it was that kind of intimacy that allows for a different kind of vision. It changes the story, and it leads to the kind of courage that comes from trusting the God who has been by your side every step of the way and has never — not once — failed you.
Caleb and Joshua refused to let the obstacles and the challenges cancel out what they knew to be true about God — about His character, His power, His faithfulness. They were very clear on who God was. And listen, this is important: we have to be really clear on who God is before we can see anything else clearly at all. It's the only way. We have to learn to see things from God's point of view.
Caleb and Joshua understood the outcome wasn't their responsibility. Obedience was their responsibility. They fully believed their destiny was in God's hands. Yes, there may have been obstacles in the way, but God had already given them a word, a promise. He said two things: He was with them, and He was giving them the land. And that was enough.
Courageous Faith
Ultimately, the promise doesn't depend on you. It does require something of you — that's what we're seeing here — but it's not up to you to make it happen. God handles the outcome. God delivers the promise, but you have to participate in the process.
We get all tangled up thinking we need more information, more clarity, a better plan. But it might be today, friend, that we just need a little more courage — the kind of courage that says, "I know who God is. I know what God has done in my life, and I am so deeply convinced that He will do what He says, that I trust Him implicitly, and I will obey Him immediately — even when it looks impossible, despite the challenges, even when it seems there's no way I can do it on my own. I believe God."
God doesn't need a list of your credentials. God needs your yes. That is courageous faith, and that's what it takes to possess the promise, to walk in the fullness of what God has for you.
When Joshua was commissioned to lead Israel into the Promised Land after Moses died, God reminded him of this promise in Joshua chapter 1, and gave him this command: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid, and do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will go with you wherever you go." The first part of that command is impossible without fully understanding the last part — the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. So, therefore, you can be strong and courageous.
Joshua got it. He understood it. That truth was the thing in his backpack that informed his decision in that moment. It carried the most weight. God's Word was enough, and Joshua showed up differently here than everyone else around him.
What's at Stake
So why are we talking about this? Because it may be that you find yourself in a similar situation — standing on the edge of something: a promise, a calling, a healing, a breakthrough, an opportunity that from a human point of view looks impossible. And you're opting out. You're talking yourself right out of the promise and settling for something less.
It matters. And it doesn't just matter for you — there is a kingdom story at play. The thing God wants to do in and through your life might just be the thing that convinces someone else that God is real and that He loves them. And just like He has a plan and a promise for you, He has a plan and a promise for them too.
So here's what I want you to know: you do not have to walk into the next part of your story wondering if God's going to show up, hoping that maybe, just maybe, He'll keep His promise. Sometimes we get stuck right there, trying to decide whether to take a step forward, stay where we are, or go back where we came from — because we're waiting for God to make a move, and God is saying, "No, no, no, no. It's your move. Go and take the land. Possess the promise God has given you."
Your Move
It is never a question of whether God will keep His promise. Psalm 33:4 says it this way: "The word of the Lord is true, and we can trust everything He does." Friend, He will show up. He has already gone before you, in fact. He will do what He says He will do.
The question is, will you? Will you show up? Will you do what He asks you to do? Will you follow Him into the next part of your story with courageous faith?
This is the moment in Israel's history that led to forty years of wandering in the wilderness — one year for every day they explored the land. An entire generation died in the desert, except for Caleb and Joshua, the two men who took God at His word and saw things differently. It was under Joshua's leadership that Israel finally took hold of the Promised Land. Was it easy? Absolutely not. It took years of battle. But they took hold of the thing God was giving them, and by the end of the story, Scripture says this, in Joshua 21: "So the Lord gave to Israel all the land He'd sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it, and they settled there. And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as He'd solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all of their enemies. Not one of all the good promises the Lord had given to Israel was left unfulfilled. Everything He had spoken came true."
I want you to say that with me right now: everything He had spoken came true. Every single one. Friend, God always, always keeps His promises. He has never gotten it wrong. He's never been confused, and He never will. Your story, your promise, is no exception to that truth. That is not who God is. God means what He says about you. God remembers the promise He's spoken over your life. He has not forgotten you.
But it could be that He's waiting on you — that He's waiting on your yes, that He's waiting on you to move. It could be that He sent me here today with this message to remind you to be strong and courageous. Friend, don't opt out of your God-given destiny. Pay attention to what you're paying attention to. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and let God's Word be enough.
What Do You See, Friend?
If you're standing on the edge of a promise today, I want to leave you with a question. What do you see? Do you see obstacles, or do you see opportunities for God to demonstrate His power? Do you see your weakness and your limitations, or do you see God's strength? Do you remember God's faithfulness, or do you see only the problem? Can you see the Promise Keeper?
Don't forget to remember, friend: the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Let God's Word be enough.
Until Next Time
Well, hey friend, thanks for joining us for this bonus episode of The Purpose Project Podcast. I'm so grateful you're here, and what a gift it is to share this with you today. We're back in October with episode nine, a conversation with Marita Littauer — I am so excited for you to hear that one.
So mark your calendar, hit subscribe, follow along. Don't miss a thing. Until then, be brave and eyes on Jesus.
Meet Your Host
I’m Valerie Jones, a Christian Life & Leadership Coach and the host of The Purpose Project Podcast. I created this space for Christian women who are navigating the messy middle: those in-between seasons where faith is real but stretched, and life doesn’t look the way you expected.
My approach is rooted in biblical truth, emotional health, and brain-based methods because I believe God designed us as whole people, and transformation and personal growth should consider our whole selves.
“God doesn’t need a list of your credentials. God needs your ‘yes.’ That is courageous faith.”
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