There are not too many that would call themselves pessimists. They are characterized by the “glass half empty” mentality. Their attitude is, “I will never get what I need.” Or, “Everything is going to turn out worse than it is already.” Nobody likes being around a gloomy person. On the other hand, few would call themselves optimists. Optimists tend to get dismissed as a person who is “willingly ignorant of the facts.” Most would call themselves “realists.” They look at the “reality” and can see the “obvious.”

The most important factor now becomes, “What is reality?” Our reality is based on what we see, read, experience around us. Have you ever seen a magician do “magic” by making cards or coins appear and disappear? I have watched many slight-of-hand artists do amazing things. But I never thought they were really creating items out of nothing. My eyes were fooled, but my brain told me that the coin or card was merely hidden from my sight.

There is a story of a group of men that were told something by God, but believed their interpretation of the facts rather than the Lord. Numbers 13-14 describe the twelve men selected to spy out the Promised Land before the people of Israel were to come in and take over. God promised, but they choose to believe what they perceived as fact, rather than God.
Those “realists” that trusted their eyes instead of the promises, died. The two that looked to the promises, succeeded.

Joshua 14:10-12 “Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."

Eighty-five years old and eager to go into battle! This “realist” saw the reality of God’s promises.

On what “facts” do we focus?