Caleb is one of my all-time favorite OT characters. When Moses appointed him and 11 other men to spy out the Promised Land, he and Joshua were the only two who came back with a “Let’s go for it!” attitude. The others focused on the challenges and bred fear into the Israelites. As a result, the people disobeyed God and ended up wandering around in the wilderness for 40 years.
Joshua 14:7-14 tells it all. Caleb was a man of wisdom and courage. A man firm in his belief and behavior, unswayed by the fearful and faithless who surrounded him. What set him apart? Look at v. 7,8 – “I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave from my heart a good report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people and discouraged them from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I followed the Lord my God completely.”
Caleb followed the Lord completely. He’d embraced Him as his God, worshiping nothing else above Him. He saw the same challenges as his co-spies did when they surveyed the Promised Land, but he viewed them through God’s command and promise. He knew God was bigger than any obstacle they faced, and he trusted Him to give them victory. He followed God alone, not his feelings or the negative report made by the other spies.
I wanna be like Caleb. When presented with a challenge or seeming impossibility, I want to operate according to God’s truth, not according to what others say or feel. I want my life to exemplify rock-solid faith in an all-powerful God. I want to follow the Lord my God completely, and to encourage others to do the same. Let it never be said that I frightened others and discouraged them from pursuing God’s plans for them because of my feeble faith. Rather, let it be said that I wholeheartedly followed the Lord.
Is this your prayer, too?
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