Carla is elated.  Rose, Wendy and Teresa came by this weekend and spent many hours at the kitchen table transplanting about 200 tomatoes – 9 different kinds.  They are in the green house, doing well – only two look a bit haggard, but there is a good chance that even they will pull through.

‘tis a bit less than in years past, but still enough to plant in her garden – giving her a good harvest (we hope) and share with friends and family.

It was good seeing Rose and Wendy.  There are a few years before it becomes critical, but they wanted to visit the WSU campus, where both Ken and Wendy graduated, for Rose to get a taste of the university.  AND where Rose was born – in the on campus hospital - while her parents were going to school.

We are getting some snow on the mountains today and through the week, it may be too little too late for the water table, we shall see.  Right now the weather here is spotty, overcast with a bit of rain, and too much sun for this time of year.

Numbers 13:2 Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel: of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them.

Moses sent twelve spies into the Promised Land to come back with a report. 

All were in agreement, the Promised Land was a Verse 22 We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

But ten of the twelve also stated verse 31  We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we.

The people listened to these 10 and refused to go against those that were in the land that God had promised to them.

These people were not neophytes; they had experienced the Lord’s deliverance in many ways during the past few months.

While the first born of the Egyptians were slain – theirs was not.

When the Egyptians pursued them, God opened up the Red Sea and they walked over dry land.  Only after all the Israelites were safely across did God close the waters back up and destroyed the Egyptians warriors, insuring that there would be no more pursuit.

They were given water, they were given food all provided by God.

Yet, they did not trust God when He said take over the land.

Twelve men went in, twelve men came out.  Ten men said, we can’t win, two said obey God.

Unfortunately, the ten won over the others and they spend 40 years in the wilderness and were never to see the Promised Land because the chose to listen to what ten men saw.

Joshua 14:7-8  Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

⁸ Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

All twelve had the same view, and came back with the same report, but only Joshua and Caleb proclaimed the land could be conquered.  While the ten viewed the area with fear, Joshua and Caleb viewed it with enthusiasm.  Why?

One of the first things you learn, by training and experience, as a Police Officer is that eye-witnesses accounts are not always accurate.  There are many different reasons for that – and while lying is one of them, most people want to be truthful and as accurate as possible. 

However, their perspective can influence their interpretation of what they see.

People see things differently, their angle, their awareness are factors that enter into what they see.  Their background often will color what they see; if you are looking at a more accurate description of a car you are far more likely to receive it from a young male, than an older female; their interests and experiences are different.

Experiences can be a major factor also, if a witness is seeing a crime occur, emotional things happen within them.  If they have experienced a similar crime there is a danger that they will somehow superimpose that experience with the current one - and it can affect their testimony.

Who the victim is can impact what the witness ‘sees’ if they are emotionally attached they are more inclined to impart those emotions to what they are seeing, an impartial observer would see more sides of the situation.

Weather conditions, lighting, obstructions can all interfere with a clear view of what is happening.

In addition there will be a period of disbelief, (they can’t believe it is happening) and often times a panic feeling of the witnesses and the commotion caused by others will keep them from seeing everything. 

Events that are unexpected are often times over before a witness actually understands what they have seen.

Military personnel and law enforcement are trained to be better observers, to set aside personal feelings and to scan the area, carefully taking in all that they see. 

They learn by training and experience to see far more than the average citizens sees – yet, even these professionals may have blind spots, they are not perfect.

However, they do a good job and are, by training and experience, most able to interpret what they see – sometimes in micro-seconds – and react accordingly giving a good account of what was seen and why they did what they did. 

No one expects a citizen walking down the street and viewing a horrible crime to have the same where-with-all as a Police Officer has to see as much and to be able to convey what they see accurately.  Some will, obviously, but most won’t, they are just not prepared to ‘see’ what they see.

When John (the Baptist) was brought to the temple on the eighth day to be dedicated to the Lord, his father, Zacharias prophesied:

Luke 1:76-80  And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,

⁷⁸ Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

⁷⁹ To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

⁸⁰ And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.

To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.

John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The twelve men that crossed over the river Jordan to spy on the country were heads of their families.  They were men that were selected because of their positions and spiritual responsibilities to their relatives.  They were respected and expected to be able to interpret what they saw.

They were expected to come back with both a report on the greatness of the land and of the weakness of the enemy and how they could conquer them.

All twelve men saw the same thing.  Yet, ten said they can’t go in because the people occupying the land would destroy them.

Joshua and Caleb said it is there for the taking, let’s have at it.

Why the difference?

Joshua says it best, while the ten were focused on the physical situation, Joshua but I wholly followed the Lord my God.

How we view our life, how we view our ability to serve God is based on our ability to ‘see’ God’s Hand in the world.

While the world’s view comes from satan and refuses to acknowledge the existence and authority of God.  A Christian is given the light provided by Jesus Christ.

The world looks at the physical, only, it cannot properly interpret what they see, because they do not have the light of God giving it perspective.

Christians have the advantage of viewing things through the eyes of Jesus.  Where the world sees darkness and shadows, the Christian can see God.

Twelve men, all with similar backgrounds, but ten did not trust in God; they did not look at the land through His eyes.

We have the advantage of knowing what happened because of their unbelief.

We have the additional advantage of knowing our Lord as Savior and we walk in a light not available to the unbeliever.

May we always walk in that light and see God in all that is; see God’s handiwork in all that He has done; and accept the Holy Spirit leading us on that lighted path in service to God.

It is our choice, we can see with the light of God and His Word, and rightfully interpret what we see; or, we can be cloaked in darkness and see only the darkness and hopelessness of sin.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again