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“…except Caleb son of Jephunneh. He will see it, and I will give him and his descendants the land he set his feet on, because he followed the Lord wholeheartedly.” Deuteronomy 1:36
Wow. So what did Caleb do to make him “exceptional” and receive the incredible promises of God?
Well, the simple answer is that he followed the Lord “wholeheartedly”, but what did that look like?
I think Caleb chose wisely when it came to life’s critical daily decision. His choice, his daily ongoing choices, led him to be a wholehearted man and receive the promises of God.
So what did he choose?
He was faced with the same choice that you and I face every day. In fact, he faced the same choice that every single person who has chosen to walk with God has had to choose.
Will we choose fear, or will we choose faith?
That is really what it comes down to: will I give into the stresses, the strains, the trials of life and the constant whisper campaign of the enemy intent on getting me to not believe the truth of God, to get me believe that God cannot be trusted and I, therefore, need to be afraid and take control myself? Or will I believe what God says is true?
Caleb was one of the 12 spies sent into the Promised Land to scope it out. They spent 40 days checking things out and they all came back with the same report: The land was indeed flowing with milk and honey, its fruit was abundant, and there were lots of people living there who were powerful and lived in fortified cities. They all agreed on that.
However, 10 of the spies chose fear instead of faith:
“We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are…the land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size…We seemed like grasshoppers in or own eyes, and we looked the same to them.”
Caleb chose faith instead of fear:
“We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it…the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”
I read this account in Numbers 13&14 and I say to myself, “C’mon man, wack your head with a stick. God just led you out of Israel with a pillar of fire and a pillar of cloud. He parted the Red Sea and wiped out Pharaoh and his army… quail in the desert, manna from heaven, etc,…and you still don’t believe God – what is it going to take?”
It’s easy to look at their profound disbelief after all God has done and think these people are thicker than a sack of hammers – until I examine my own heart. How has God demonstrated His incredible faithfulness in my life for decades, and then a tough business scenario hits, or a serious illness, or maybe just the everyday stresses, strains and trials of life, and suddenly I am racked with fear.
Why am I afraid? Why are you afraid? Because I, and perhaps you, are not choosing to believe that God is who He says He is. He will provide; He will complete His work in us; He will lead, guide, counsel and watch over us; He does not sleep or slumber; He will not let us fall; He has not yet forsaken any who trust in Him; nothing can separate us from His love.
Either He is who He says He is, or our faith is a joke.
So, our critical daily decision is whether or not we will believe God, or give into fear sown by the one who wants to steal, kill and destroy all the life God has for us. And, the only way our enemy can steal the life God has for us is if we give into his fear and don’t choose to believe the Truth of God.
So my friend, if you are living in fear I implore you to choose to wholeheartedly believe the Truth of what God says. A sure sign that we do not believe the Truth is if we are living in fear on an ongoing basis.
Choose faith over fear. Believe the Truth, and it will set you free from fear.
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
John 8:31,32
“Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'”
Isaiah 41:10
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”