PERCEPTION

“There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight” – Numbers 13:34

PERCEPTION to a large extent, determines how far you can possess your possessions. Perception refers to your way of viewing or seeing things. The extent to which you perceive your future influences how much of it you’ll possess. The Lord Jesus Christ declared: “unless one is born again, he cannot SEE the kingdom of God” (Jh.3:3b). Three verse after, He said, “unless one is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot ENTER...” The extent of the Kingdom you “SEE” determines how much of it you'll ENTER into or experience. In other words, your perception of the kingdom influences your possession of it!

Joshua and Caleb perceived themselves as being "well able to overcome" and this defined their declaration: "Let us go up at once and take possession" (Num.13:31). This was in contrast to the perception of the other ten spies who saw the Canaanites as giants and themselves as grasshoppers, and concluded that they were not able (Num.13:34). Their negative perception unfortunately defined their destiny: they and their generation of Israelites died like grasshoppers in the wilderness, without entering the Promised Land or eating the fruits thereof (Num.14:29-33). The difference between the two groups of people centered around two words: “well” and “not”! In Christ, you are “well able” to possess your possessions.

Human perception is expectedly imperfect and often faulty. That's why our true value is not found in our self-perception or in how others perceive us, but in God's purpose for and perspective of us. His own perception is always absolutely perfect and positive (Jer.29:11). He always sees the end from the beginning. He perceives things and calla them accordingly (Rom.4:17b). He is the Perfect Potter; we are the clay. Only the Potter knows the clay inside-out: its origin, nature, and limitations. Knowing your frame, the Lord doesn't disqualify you because of your imperfections (Psa.103:14). Rather, He processes you to become qualified by Grace (Jer.18:4; 1Cor.15:10).

One of Satan's key strategies against believers, is to try to project His warped and distorted perception of reality, that is, of who we are or the challenges we may be facing. Sinners and the unbelievers easily and readily identify with the devil's mindset, but Christians must reject it for the evil it is. In the account of Luke 5, Peter's context did not change, but his perception did, and he ended up hauling a great catch of fish - possessing his possessions (Lk.5:4-8). This is the power of perception: your viewpoint to anything in life will determine to a large extent how things turn out to be. God invites us to take up His higher level of perception for the fulfilment of destiny. How do you see yourself in Christ? How do you perceive the challenges and problems facing you?