Caleb

Notes from Prayer Meeting on 3 January 2019

Joshua 14 verses 10 - 14

Caleb is speaking in these verses, he is looking back on a number of years that have gone so quickly.  He is looking into the land of Canaan, he has not set his foot on it yet.  Similarly as we look at this new year we reflect on the past.  We have been through so much, done so much for the Lord.  Caleb and Joshua along with the 10 spies went out into the land of Canaan.  They were brought to the brink and the Lord showed them a land flowing with milk and honey.  He had brought them out of captivity into the land of blessing.  Sometimes we wander in the wilderness and fail to get into full blessing of the Lord.  Isn`t it amazing that God had promised this land yet he had to send out spies into the land to prove it to the people.  Sometimes we need to take the Lord by faith.  We have to go through the valley at times but God is with us.  40 days after they had set out the spies came back and told the people all about the land.  The but came however in that the spies told the people they would never be able to win it as the cities were fortified and the people so big.  Joshua and Caleb said no to this, if the Lord is with us we will succeed.  Numbers 14 verse 6 - 10.  Joshua and Caleb told the truth about the land.  After 40 years they were now back on the brink of the land of Canaan.  They could not enter in because of their unbelief.

In these chapters we notice his testimony - verse 9 he "wholly followed the Lord God of Israel."  He was a man that went through with God, he followed God with all his heart.  May that be our goal and aim tonight, whatever God would ask us to do we would surrender to him, that the Lord would go before us, that it might be said of us we "wholly followed the Lord."  It was said of Joseph when he was sold down into Egypt and Potiphar`s house that Potiphar did not have to worry about his house, he realised the Lord was with Joseph, all was taken care of.  Joseph could have been full of spite and bitterness and envy, sold from his land into a foreign land and to this man Potiphar, but he lived as God would have him live.  Then things turned sore again and he is cast into prison itself.  While there the prison officer sees something different about him and realises the Lord was with him.  Wherever he was his life did not change.  He was out and out for the Lord.  When his brothers came down he could have sought revenge on them but instead he said "you meant it for evil but the Lord meant it for good." (Genesis 50 verse 20) As we go into this year wouldn`t it be great to have the testimony that we "wholly followed the Lord."  Whether in the darkest days or days of sunshine?  Paul testifying in Acts 22 talked about Ananias and how he was sent to where Paul was.  Paul gave God the glory for him being there.  He was a "devout man", a religious man, there was something special about his life, was totally in the Lord`s hands. (verse 12)  Although Ananias heard so much of this man Saul of Tarsus, he was prepared to trust the Lord to take him to where Saul was.  He was an example to the other believers.  No wonder Paul loved to testify about him.  Wouldn`t it be great to be that example in the places we go and the things we do?  Like the woman of old who said of Elijah "surely this is a man of God" when he passed by her house continually. (2 Kings 4 verse 9)  It was others who would not go with Caleb to enter into the land.

Notice Caleb`s trial.  For some 45 years he never lost sight of the promise of God.  Joshua 14 verse 10.  He has held onto the Lord.  God`s word never mentions anything about giving up.  Caleb was going to go through with the Lord.  What was the promise the Lord gave to him in that day - Deuteronomy 1 verses 34 and 36.  Sometimes we take God`s promises and play about with them.  Here was a generation God would let go into the land of Canaan because they hadn`t the faith.  They would die in the wilderness as a result.  After 40 years he is still holding onto that promise that he would see this land.  There have been trials over these 40 years, times when he was downhearted.  He held onto the promise that God would one day fulfil this promise - "I will bring you into this land because you have wholly followed me."  The promise was as flesh to him each and every day.  Jairus had a daughter of 12 years of age.  She was at the point of death.  The man came out of the house and told him the girl was dead.  The Lord turned to Jairus and told him "be not afraid, only believe". (Mark 5 verse 36)  He held onto that promise.  There were certain disciples of Jesus who turned away from the Lord and Jesus asked the remaining disciples "will you go away as well?" (John 6 verse 67)  Sometimes there are things to come in and discourage us, that put up barriers.  We need to watch these do not happen.  Peter walked away from the Lord but he came back again.  Peter on one occasion was working on his nets.  Jesus spoke to him telling him to let down his nets and launch out into the deep.  Peter reminded him that they had fished all night but "nevertheless at thy word we will do it." (Luke 5 verse 5)  Let`s look above the things that discourage us and put our faith in Christ alone.  Caleb put every failure into the past and asked to be given this land promised to him.  He had to battle for everything.  He had God on his side.  We have that same testimony, that God will be with us throughout the coming year.

Caleb`s triumph - verse 14 "Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb."  Let`s stand tonight as Caleb did, standing on the promises that God will fulfil his word.  Let`s pray that God would make us the Caleb`s of 2019.