July 2, 2008, Praises Along the Way-- Victory! Take the Land!

I sat out on the patio reading this afternoon about Caleb in Joshua 14: 6-14. As the breeze swirled around me, my thoughts were on the Lord and the strength that his Word gives me. I feel like I could conquer anything! Such encouragement I took from Caleb’s testimony! I can see why he’s included in the bible, I had thoughts like, “Man, people will be so encouraged by this guy!” I wonder if the early writers thought the same thing!

I love how he gives the men of Judah a talking to in the end of verse six through verse nine. “…You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kedesh 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.”

I love how he speaks from his convictions and not from what his eyes saw like the rest of the guys (read Numbers 13:26-33). Did you notice that what they spoke of melted the hearts of the people with fear? What will I speak from? My faith? My fears? And how do my words affect those around me. I think about the drive home from the hospital the first night that we found out Danni had brain tumors.

I thank God for his spirit that rose up in me and spoke to Danni from the faith God had given me. I spoke to her repeating scripture after scripture. I don’t even remember which ones they were I just know that as they came to the top of my heart I relayed them to her.

How do you think my words might have affected Danni if I had spoken my fears at that moment? Thank you God for taking control of my mouth!

Just the fact that scriptures came up in me at that moment gives me confidence that God has a plan and a purpose! He hasn’t brought her this far in her life only for her to die. There may be some out there that think I’m in denial but my eyes are open I just choose not to live by fear. I choose faith that I may be pleasing to God and that only by grace.

I also love how Caleb says he served his God wholeheartedly! And guess what? He was rewarded! (See Joshua 14:13-15)

He goes on to say in Joshua 14:10-12, “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.

Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the Lord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Woo Hoo!!! Man that gets my blood pumping! I just want to say, “Go, Caleb! With you and God there isn’t anything you can’t accomplish!” Listen to the faith this man had, the conviction, the strength and he was eighty-five years old! He was still ready to fight! Jesus make me like Caleb in my old age! He wasn’t afraid to face the Anakites, who were giants, in his life. He took them head-on and there wasn’t even a doubt in his mind that he wouldn’t be successful with God by his side!

I’ll end this with scripture that is dear to me and that is Romans 8:35-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

For, I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. YES AND AMEN!!! THAT’S MY GOD!!!

Believers in Jesus, NO MATTER WHAT, WE ARE LOVED BY HIM!! NO MATTER WHAT, WE CAN’T BE SEPARATED FROM THAT LOVE HE HAS FOR US!! WOO HOO!!