Yesterday we journeyed with the Israelite spies into Canaan to scout the territory. Moses sent spies, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Among them were Joshua and Caleb. All the spies agreed on the richness of the land, but ten of them said Israel could not conquer it because its inhabitants were too powerful and their cities were like fortresses. Only Caleb and Joshua dared to contradict them. We learned about Joshua and why he left a lasting legacy. Caleb too was bold in his faith as he spoke out in assurance when returning from their mission:
Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (Numbers 13:30, NIV)
Caleb successfully spied out Canaan, on his mission from Moses. He survived 40 years of wandering in the desert, then on returning to the Promised Land, he conquered the territory around Hebron, defeating the giant sons of Anak. Caleb was physically strong, energetic in his old age, and resourceful in dealing with dilemmas. Most importantly, he followed God with his whole heart—a quality God longs for in each of us.
Caleb knew that when God gave him a task to do, God would give him all he needed to complete that mission. Caleb spoke up for truth, even when he was in the minority.
We can learn from Caleb that our own weakness brings an inpouring of God's strength. Caleb teaches us to be devoted to God and to expect him to be devoted to us in return. Let’s learn to be like him, totally sold out in our commitment to follow God and His truths. (Jack Zavada, “Meet Caleb: A Man Who Followed God Wholeheartedly”)
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