Then in Joshua 14, Caleb and Joshua fulfilled the opportunity to enter the Good Land. In Joshua 14:6-11 (NIV) it is written, “Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kennizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. Now then, just as the Lord promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. 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.”
So how does this relate to perseverance? Since Caleb (and Joshua, I believe) ‘followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly’ he was able to persevere for 45 years in the desert. He and Joshua were the only ones alive who had been at the ‘entrance’ to the Good Land the first time. In fact, the Lord provided ‘perseverance’ for Caleb to the point that he could say ‘I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous . . ‘
May we all ‘follow the Lord wholeheartedly’ and be able to be strong and vigorous as we persevere for His Glory and His work. Amen.
And Caleb and Joshua did not have the Holy Spirit residing in them. Hmmm, interesting.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Will you persevere? (Part 2)
In the last post, I asked the following questions about perserverance:
“And how many of us would have quit the first month, the first year, second year or even the third year. What if the ministry, the Lord has provided you, did not show fruit for 3 years. Would we persevere, would we be patient and wait on the Lord?”
My own personal answer to this question (and I believe many Christians' answer) to these questions would be Yes or No.
Yes – if I am walking in the Spirit. If I am letting the mind of Christ through the Spirit provide direction for my life, if I am letting Him have His way with me.
No – if I am walking in my own power. I could persevere for a while in my own power, but even if I did, would the Lord bless the work? No.
A question like this always makes come back to story of Joshua and Caleb in the books of Numbers and Joshua. Most of us know the story (Numbers 13-14) where Moses sent out the men to explore the land of Canaan. All of the men came back afraid except for Joshua and Caleb. In the end, the Israelites did not go into the Good Land. The Lord was upset with them. In 14:20-24 (NIV) it is written, “The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” Amen
Stay tuned until tomorrow when I will finish my thoughts.
“And how many of us would have quit the first month, the first year, second year or even the third year. What if the ministry, the Lord has provided you, did not show fruit for 3 years. Would we persevere, would we be patient and wait on the Lord?”
My own personal answer to this question (and I believe many Christians' answer) to these questions would be Yes or No.
Yes – if I am walking in the Spirit. If I am letting the mind of Christ through the Spirit provide direction for my life, if I am letting Him have His way with me.
No – if I am walking in my own power. I could persevere for a while in my own power, but even if I did, would the Lord bless the work? No.
A question like this always makes come back to story of Joshua and Caleb in the books of Numbers and Joshua. Most of us know the story (Numbers 13-14) where Moses sent out the men to explore the land of Canaan. All of the men came back afraid except for Joshua and Caleb. In the end, the Israelites did not go into the Good Land. The Lord was upset with them. In 14:20-24 (NIV) it is written, “The Lord replied, “I have forgiven them, as you asked. Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the Lord fills the whole earth, not one of the men who saw my glory and miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times – not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it. But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” Amen
Stay tuned until tomorrow when I will finish my thoughts.
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