WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2025

The Power of Vision and the Promise of God’s Word

MESSAGE: WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET

The difference between a life of victory and a life of defeat often comes down to one fundamental principle: what you see is what you get. This isn’t just a motivational phrase; it’s a profound spiritual law established by God Himself. Our perception—our internal vision—shapes our external reality. In a world full of challenges, where economic downturns, health crises, and personal struggles are common, our ability to see beyond our circumstances to God’s promises is the key to unlocking our destiny.

This message explores this powerful truth through the lives of Abraham, the twelve spies in the book of Numbers, and our own daily walk of faith. It will become clear that God’s promises are not just words on a page; they are a mirror that reflects the reality He has already made available to us.

1. The Abrahamic Principle: Seeing Before Receiving

The life of Abraham is a masterclass in faith and vision. God called him out of his homeland and gave him incredible promises, but He always tied those promises to Abraham’s ability to “see” them.

Seeing the Stars (Genesis 15:3-6): When Abraham was worried about not having an heir, God didn’t just tell him that his descendants would be countless. He took him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” Then He said, “So shall your descendants be.” Why did God require this physical act of seeing? Because faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). God wanted to plant the visual evidence of the promise in Abraham’s mind. By looking at the stars, Abraham was no longer just hearing a promise; he was seeing a representation of it, which solidified his belief. His vision became the anchor for his faith.

Seeing the Land (Genesis 13:14-17): A similar conversation happened when Lot separated from Abraham. God told Abraham, “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever.” Again, God didn’t just hand Abraham the land. He commanded him to look at it. God knew that for Abraham to possess the land, he first had to have a vision of it in his heart. The act of seeing it with his eyes was the first step toward possessing it with his feet.

These accounts teach us a vital spiritual truth: God often waits for us to see the promise in our minds before He manifests it in our lives. Your vision is a prerequisite for your possession.

2. The Tale of Two Visions: Caleb and the Spies

The most striking example of “what you see is what you get” comes from the story of the twelve spies sent by Moses to scout the land of Canaan.

Scripture: Numbers 13:16-33 (NKJV)

Moses sent twelve leaders, one from each tribe, to survey the land. When they returned after forty days, they all saw the same things: a land flowing with milk and honey, a place of incredible abundance. But they had two different visions and therefore brought back two completely different reports.

The Report of the Ten Spies: They saw the giants, the walled cities, and the fortified strongholds. They concluded, “We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we…we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.” Their vision was dominated by the obstacles. They saw themselves as small, insignificant, and helpless in the face of the enemy. Their internal picture was one of defeat, and they projected that fear onto the entire nation.

The Report of Joshua and Caleb: They saw the same giants and the same walled cities, but their vision was different. They saw the abundance of the land as a sign of God’s faithfulness. Caleb stilled the people and boldly declared, “Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.” Their vision was not focused on the giants, but on the size and ability of their God. They saw victory, because they saw a God who was bigger than any obstacle.

The Result: Everyone got what they saw. The ten spies who saw themselves as “grasshoppers” died in the wilderness, never entering the Promised Land. But Joshua and Caleb, the two who saw themselves as conquerors, were the only ones from their generation (excluding Moses and Aaron) to inherit the land (Numbers 32:11-12). Their vision became their reality.

3. The Reality of Your Vision Today

This principle is just as powerful for us today. In any situation you face, your internal vision determines your outcome.

In Your Finances: When the economy is tough and others complain of lack, what do you see? Do you see poverty, scarcity, and struggle, or do you see God as your source, your provider, and the One who prospers you in every season? If you see poverty, that’s what you’ll get. If you see abundance, you will experience it.

In Your Health: When a doctor gives a grim diagnosis and says there is no hope, what do you see? Do you see the limitations of medicine, or do you see God as your healer? If you see sickness, it will consume you. If you see life, you will have life, for God’s Word says, “I am the Lord who heals you” (Exodus 15:26).

In Your Career and Relationships: Do you see failure, or do you see victory? Do you see your family falling apart, or do you see God’s promise to heal and restore?

The circumstances around you are temporary, but God’s Word is eternal. Your responsibility is to regulate your vision to align with God’s promises.

The only way to see correctly is to know what God says about your life. What has God said about your home, your children, your career, your health, and your destiny? His promises are the lens through which you must view your life. Stand on them, declare them, and hold them as the ultimate truth. When the storms of doubt assail you, you will prevail because you are standing on the promises of God.

KEY POINT

No matter the circumstances that surround you, stand by what God has promised in His word.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR

Nahum 1-3

HYMNAL: 11 – STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF CHRIST OUR KING

1 Standing on the promises of Christ, my King!

Through eternal ages let His praises ring.

“Glory in the highest!” I will shout and sing,

standing on the promises of God.

Standing, standing,

standing on the promises of God, my Savior;

standing, standing,

I’m standing on the promises of God.

2 Standing on the promises that cannot fail!

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

by the living Word of God I shall prevail,

standing on the promises of God. [Refrain]

3 Standing on the promises, I now can see

perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;

standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,

standing on the promises of God.

4 Standing on the promises of Christ, the Lord,

bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,

overcoming daily with the Spirit’s Sword,

standing on the promises of God.

5 Standing on the promises I cannot fall,

list’ning ev’ry moment to the Spirit’s call,

resting in my Savior as my all in all,

standing on the promises of God.