Shabbat Devotional June 13,2026

Torah: Numbers 13:1-15:41  Moses sends out the twelve spies

Prophets: Joshua 2:1-24  The story of Rehab

Gospel: Mathew 10:1-14  Jesus send out the twelve disciples

Do you view the realities of this world through faith—or through fear?

Today, reading about the account of the twelve spies convicted me deeply. God spoke to my heart about my grumbling and even how I label things as “hardships” when they are just minor inconveniences.

I want to be vulnerable and share what God showed me through my own week.

Our office AC has been out all week during some of the hottest days. I’ve worked hard on the new My Jewish Savior website, but setback after setback left me feeling defeated. Then Friday morning, we had no water at home—I had to melt ice just to brush my teeth.

I wish I could say I responded with gratitude and faith—but I didn’t. I complained more than I should have. Yet today, through His Word, God gently corrected me and filled me with His joy. I am thankful—for a job I love, a God-fearing husband who can fix about anything, and the overwhelming privilege of sharing God’s story with others.

Reading about the twelve spies reminded me: two people can see the same thing and walk away with completely different perspectives. Twelve men saw the same land, the same giants, the same fruit. Ten returned discouraged; two returned in faith. Why?

Joshua and Caleb saw obstacles as opportunities for God’s glory. They saw the fruit as proof of God’s promise. They believed—and were not discouraged.

The others saw the same fruit as proof of defeat. Their perspective was shaped by fear, not faith.

I read that the ancient sages taught that complaining is equivalent to atheism—it denies God as if He is not present or listening. That hit hard. Many call this mindset “realism.” A realist often focuses on the negative, dismisses the good, and they overlook God’s everyday miracles. They reduce answered prayers as merely coincidence and live in constant dissatisfaction.

If we live that way, we will miss—or fail to enjoy—the good God is continually doing in and through our lives.

One commentary I read described three types of people: optimists, pessimists, and people of faith. The optimist sees the glass half full while the pessimist sees it half empty.
But the person of faith thanks God for the cup being half full trusting Him to make it sufficient or to fill it completely.

It all comes down to how we look at the grapes.

Joshua and Caleb saw what everyone else saw—but they trusted God. And God honored that. He saw their faith and brought them into the land. The others? Their disbelief cost them the promise.