Faithfulness

Today, I want to let you know about a man called Caleb. This guy is pretty amazing. When we first read about him in scripture, in Numbers 13, he is one of the chosen 12 to spy out the land. The land is the area that God wants Israel to occupy.
Of those that checked out the land only 2 returned who thought it possible for the nation of Israel to conquer it - Caleb and Joshua.
They had seen the same things the other spies had - the people that were big, strong, even giant-like, their cities that were strong and well protected. So, why was Caleb's response different? He wasn't scared off like the others were, he was confident.
He trusted not in his own strength, but in God's. He had faith in God's word and God's power. If we are confident of that in our lives, I wonder what we could do? Caleb's faith was fervent and strong. He didn't doubt God's ability at all. He's spent 40days saying out the land - the land was good, overflowing with good things. The people there, yes, they were strong and looked like they could put up a good fight, but Caleb saw a more powerful, stronger God who could do amazing things with normal weaklings like us. What faith!
Caleb didn't trust in his own strength, or the strength of others, but in God.

As a result of Caleb's trust and bravery - he received a promise from God, "my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it." Caleb will own the land he's just entered. Not just him, but his family after him because he has followed God fully, he held nothing back. Now, Caleb was 40 when he received this promise.

Then what happened? The whole nation of Israel, including Caleb wondered the wilderness for 40years!
What? Caleb had this amazing experience, he knew God's plan, and trusted in God's strength but because no-one else did he had to wait for that generation to die out before he had any chance of claiming that promise. Caleb had to wait for 45years to claim the promise God had given him.
45years- now that's patience! Caleb had to wait for longer than he'd actually been alive at that point to receive the prize for his faithfulness, for fully following God. Caleb had another 45 years of continuing to follow God faithfully, of waiting, hoping.

I wonder if he ever questioned if he'd see this promise fulfilled?
We often receive God's promises and hold onto them, delight in them, and then want them right away. Caleb had to wait 45years!!!
Yet, he still held onto the promise, he still fully followed God. We see that in Joshua 14. I bet the two friends probably reminisced about the event, recalling what happened and how God has rewarded them and kept them strong since. Two old men, still fighting for the Lord. Caleb was now 85 yet he is just as strong as he was at 40! He has retained his strength and his confidence in God. He is ready to possess the land and drive out the inhabitants. He knows God is still with him and has sustained him, and he's ready to keep fighting for God.

Reading about Caleb inspires me. Caleb had unswayable, unconventional, undeniable faith in God. God sees his heart, and rewards him for fully following him by giving Caleb an unbelievable promise. Caleb has to remain patient, fervent and faithful though. He must of kept the promise logged in his mind, and got on with life.
Caleb retained the memory of that promise, I'm sure he recalled it from time to time and wondered when it would happen. It doesn't seem that he ever doubted it though. What an incredible, faithful servant.
Then, when the opportunity comes for the promise to be fulfilled, Caleb has to fight for it! The people are still living in the land, so Caleb has to fight to overcome them, at the age of 85! How incredible!

I want to encourage you to remember God's promises and remember that God is with you for the long haul. Our duty is to remain fervent and faithful to Him, to be fully following him, and we will be able to grab the opportunity when God's promises come to fruition. It doesn't mean that when God promises something it will just drop into your lap. Sometimes it will, but you'll probably have to work for it.

God is faithful. Will you be faithful and fully follow him like Caleb did?