"Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadesh-barnea.
Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
And now behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
Now therefore give me this mountain whereof the LORD spake in that day: for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said." Joshua 14:5-12
Caleb at the age of 85 still wants to conquer the mountain he spied out when he was 40. Why doesn't Caleb say, "Well, I've served my time, let the younger folk do it now?" Because Caleb wasn't ready to step aside for the next generation. I have a sneaking suspicion that Caleb would've whipped up on any other Israelite who tried to take his mountain!
Why doesn't Caleb say, "I wish I could've conquered that mountain, but it's too late now." Because Caleb's strength had been preserved by the LORD, and he was ready to fight! I wonder if the LORD preserved his strength each day that Caleb kept his faith alive? I wonder if that's the way it works. I know a man who, like Caleb, is still as strong at 70 as he was at 50. He's using that strength to accomplish the work God gave him to do.
J Vernon McGee says that Caleb had
(1) Faith to forget the past,
(2) Faith to face facts, and
(3) Faith to face the future.
Is this faith quality the secret to Caleb's preserved strength? I think so. The reverse seems logical to me, too. Why should God preserve the strength of one who has already stopped conquering?
Why doesn't Caleb say, "I'm looking for a younger partner to help me conquer this mountain. Anybody interested?" Because Caleb already has a partner; "...if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said" (Joshua 14:12). Caleb had this idea that God was all the help he needed.
This is the profile of a life-long conqueror. We need a generation of Calebs today to stack hands with almighty God and conquer our land for Jesus Christ.
What's my mountain to conquer? I think my mountain is the public schools of Midland. I still have a heart's desire to establish Bible Clubs in each school. I still have a heart's desire to conquer the Freshman schools for Christ.
I need to forget the past - that we gave up our two former clubs. I need to face the facts - as Shajara says, it will be hard. I need to face the future - keep thinking of the day when we can fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to take the Gospel into our own Jerusalem by sharing the Gospel at every campus in this city.
Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh-barnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.
Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God.
And now behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.
As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.
Now therefore give me this mountain whereof the LORD spake in that day: for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said." Joshua 14:5-12
Caleb at the age of 85 still wants to conquer the mountain he spied out when he was 40. Why doesn't Caleb say, "Well, I've served my time, let the younger folk do it now?" Because Caleb wasn't ready to step aside for the next generation. I have a sneaking suspicion that Caleb would've whipped up on any other Israelite who tried to take his mountain!
Why doesn't Caleb say, "I wish I could've conquered that mountain, but it's too late now." Because Caleb's strength had been preserved by the LORD, and he was ready to fight! I wonder if the LORD preserved his strength each day that Caleb kept his faith alive? I wonder if that's the way it works. I know a man who, like Caleb, is still as strong at 70 as he was at 50. He's using that strength to accomplish the work God gave him to do.
J Vernon McGee says that Caleb had
(1) Faith to forget the past,
(2) Faith to face facts, and
(3) Faith to face the future.
Is this faith quality the secret to Caleb's preserved strength? I think so. The reverse seems logical to me, too. Why should God preserve the strength of one who has already stopped conquering?
Why doesn't Caleb say, "I'm looking for a younger partner to help me conquer this mountain. Anybody interested?" Because Caleb already has a partner; "...if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said" (Joshua 14:12). Caleb had this idea that God was all the help he needed.
This is the profile of a life-long conqueror. We need a generation of Calebs today to stack hands with almighty God and conquer our land for Jesus Christ.
What's my mountain to conquer? I think my mountain is the public schools of Midland. I still have a heart's desire to establish Bible Clubs in each school. I still have a heart's desire to conquer the Freshman schools for Christ.
I need to forget the past - that we gave up our two former clubs. I need to face the facts - as Shajara says, it will be hard. I need to face the future - keep thinking of the day when we can fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ to take the Gospel into our own Jerusalem by sharing the Gospel at every campus in this city.
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