Speak out your faith in spite of the circumstances!
We all know that when the spies came back from surveying the promised land, Caleb is remembered for saying "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."
He saw the same giants everyone else saw but he declared his faith and the power of God.
The others gave "the children of Israel a bad report of the land they spied out."
Isn't it impressive that even though their words resulted in a 40 year delay in the wilderness, we never hear of Caleb hitting the road on his own. Or saying 'I told you so.' He walked in unity and patience in the process, as he awaited his promise.
"Surely not one of those men of this evil generation shall see that good land of which I swore to give... except Caleb, he shall see it and to him and his children I am giving the land on which he walked, because he wholly followed the Lord." Deut. 1:3 I love that phrase. In Numbers 14, it says, "My servant Caleb has a different spirit in him and has followed me fully and I will bring him into the land where he went."
And in Josh.14:8 Caleb said "My brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God."
Pray to wholly follow!
Be brave enough to have a different spirit than everyone else!
Guess what didn't happen? At year 40, a deed wasn't signed and dropped into his mailbox and that land did not suddenly become Caleb's. Wouldn't that be nice if our promises all dropped into our laps without any work on our part?
Caleb had to fight for his promise! We often have to fight for ours.
But he literally had to fight. LOL
Because those giants he saw, still lived on his promised mountain.
Apparently, there was a 5 year delay! But Caleb doesn't sound bitter.
Here's what the guy with the "different spirit" had to say:
"The Lord has kept me alive and well as He promised for all those 45 years since Moses made this promise...Today, I am 85 years old and I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me!"
I used to think that verse was figurative for some reason and that Caleb wasn't actually the strongest 85 year old guy ever. But according to Deut. 29:5, God kept the people's shoes and clothing from wearing out for those 40 years and apparently He kept Caleb from wearing out too! ; )
Caleb was 'given' his mountain, but that wasn't the same thing as possessing it.
He had to go with God's help and actually drive out the giants that stood between him and his promise and he did!
I hope you fight for what God has promised you! I hope you have His help taking down spiritual giants and taking back territory!
And may we all be patient during the delays because a different spirit is in us!
Blessings,
Becky
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