Caleb had his pay-day for the remarkable confidence that he demonstrated in God when others have failed. Only Caleb and Joshua proclaimed their faith in God when twelve people were sent to spy on Canaan Land. Others compared themselves with grasshoppers against giants and doubted God’s power to deliver them. Therefore, God promised to honor Caleb (Numbers 14:24). Moreover, not only did Caleb demonstrated remarkable faith at the border of Canaan Land, but he also continued to demonstrate strong faith at a very old age. At 85 years, Caleb walked up to Joshua to demand a land of giants as his own portion of the inheritance. He approached Joshua and said,
“I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’ And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.” And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then the land had rest from war” (Joshua 14:7-15).
Lesson:
Anyone who demonstrates strong faith in God will not be put to shame – under whatever condition! God who encourages people to trust him will not neglect whoever observes the same principle. Indeed, the whole world may appear to have turned upside down for a person of faith, but since he/she remains trusting in God, the storm will subside within a short time for him/her to match out unto victory. However, there is no restriction on the need to apply faith in everyone’s life. (Faith can be applied in every situation of life to earn the victory for believers). In other words, faith in God can be applied for bill payment, healing, job, marriage, children, business deals, and others. Therefore, people who call on the name of God should also exercise their faith in him to have victory in every ramification of their lives. People of faith will have their faces shine during rainfall and sunshine to honor God’s name!
Prayer:
Dear God, please help me to apply resolute faith in every situation to have victory and to glorify your name. Help me to demonstrate un-shifted faith in the sight of challenges; let my faith be strong as rock to refute all oppositions and confess your saving strength! Let me be able to say during a difficult moment: “My God whom I serve daily is able, and he shall deliver me from this problem!” Please let me come back into the assembly of your people to testify to your goodness so that other people can be challenged to demonstrate more faith in you. For in the name of Jesus Christ I desire to have resolute faith in you. Amen!