Have you read the story of Caleb and Joshua and the other men from each tribe of Israel that Moses sent to spy out some land for the Israelites to enter into?  This telling of events and what took place begins in the Old Testament book of Numbers, starting in chapter thirteen.  During this time, Moses was leading the people of Israel, and God told Moses to send men to scout out the land of Canaan that He was giving to the Israelites.  

So Moses picks one man from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, two of whom are Caleb and Joshua (whom Moses renamed), and off they went.  He told them how to get there and to observe how the people who lived there were: were they strong or weak, few or many?    He wanted them to report whether the land was good or bad, how the cities were set up and designed, if the land was fertile or unproductive, and if there were trees.  He also asked them to bring back some fruit from the land, and he admonished them to be courageous.

Caleb, Joshua and the other men did all of this and did everything Moses asked of them, but when they came back to report back to him, the people of Israel did not respond well.  They said the people were strong and the cities were large and fortified, and they saw the descendants of Anak there, and they were known for their formidable, warlike appearance.  Caleb quieted the people and encouraged them to go ahead and take possession of the land.  And Scripture doesn’t say here, but if Caleb had to quiet them, I can only imagine the uproar and cries of the people.  Immediately, all the men who had gone with him opposed him and gave reasons why they couldn’t go and perform this arduous task of taking possession of the land.  

And though they were told to do this by Moses, whom the Lord had spoken to, they all broke out into cries and the people wept.  (I’m reading and looking at Numbers 14 now.)  They lamented, “If only we had died in this wilderness!”, and they decided for themselves to appoint a new leader and go back into the land of Egypt, the same country that God had just delivered them out of and that they had just fled from to escape slavery.  We read next, in Numbers 14:5 that Moses and Aaron fell face down in front of the whole assembly of the Israelite community, and that Joshua and Caleb tore their clothes, which was a sign of grief and anguish.  While they all tried to talk the Israelites out of this decision to go back into Egypt instead of the Promised Land Canaan, the glory of the Lord appeared to them at the tent of meeting, and the Lord asks Moses how long the people will hate Him.  Can you even imagine?  They go on talking back and forth, and God threatens to destroy them with a plague.  Moses somehow speaks to Him in a way that changes God’s mind, though, and he focuses on telling God Who He is:

The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion.  But he will not leave the guilty unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generation.  Please pardon the iniquity of this people, in keeping with the greatness of your faithful love, just as you have forgiven them from Egypt until now.  (Numbers 14:18-19)

And do you know what happens next?  God tells Moses that He will pardon them, but that there would be a consequence and that would be that they would never see the land He swore to their fathers.  But Caleb, God’s servant who had a different spirit and had remained loyal to the Lord, would see the Promised Land, and Scripture tells us that both he and Joshua were the only two to remain alive to see that land.

My point in retelling the events that took place at this point in history that we read about in the Bible is this: even when opposition surrounds us and things look formidable and terrifying, we need to be able to know that God is who His word says He is. 

He is trustworthy!  

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.  (Proverbs 3:5)

He is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love!

The LORD is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love, forgiving iniquity and rebellion.  (Numbers 14:18)

Our prayers have purpose, and when we pray, God always answers.  It may not be the answer we want or are expecting, but He will answer in the way that will be best for us.  You can read about that in Numbers 14, where God answers Moses after Moses prays.  God is good and loving, and everything He does is good.  That may be hard to understand sometimes in reading the Bible, but we can trust in Him and that ultimately, He wants the very best for us.  

I love how in Numbers 14:24 it’s written that Caleb had a different spirit and had remained loyal to God.  This verse is proof that God honors loyalty.  And that different spirit that Scripture mentions, I want that same type of spirit.  I want the Holy Spirit to be vividly evident in my life, not so that people would notice me, but so that they notice Jesus in me. 

Imagine what this world would look like if we all lived life like that!  I’m not suggesting that I’m at all perfect and that I’ve arrived at this place in life where I never struggle.  That couldn’t be further from the truth!  But here is what I know, and this is the same that Moses knew and confessed to God:  God is slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.  I choose to focus on what I KNOW, rather than on what I feel.

Someone once said to me that our feelings, thoughts, and emotions are sinful and I agree with that statement.  We need to live and operate on what we KNOW and not on what we think.  I’m pretty literal, and I like things clearly written out for me in black and white.  Needless to say, all that is written within the pages of my Bible are what I know to be true.  

If you are one who struggles with this truth, may I encourage you for the next few moments?  If you would, open your Bible to Hebrews 11.  This portion of Scripture in my Bible has this subtitle: Living by Faith.  This chapter defines what faith is, starting in verse one, and then going on in detail about the heroes of our faith.  These are all people we need to know and read about, because it is extremely faith building and strengthening, so I encourage you to read the whole chapter.  But, here is how faith is defined:

Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 

(Hebrews 11:1)

We don’t SEE the air, but we know it’s there because we breathe it in and in doing that, we live. I don’t SEE that this chair I’m sitting in is strong and able to support my weight, but I know it’s there because when I sit down, it holds me up and prevents me from falling.

In that same way, I know that God is who He says He is in His word, and I trust every single word that is within the Bible.  I have faith in Him and His word.  Do you?  I pray that this isn’t just another article that you quickly skim and forget, but that it’s one that encourages you and strengthens you in your walk with Jesus.  Would you prayerfully consider sharing this with someone you may know who struggles in their faith?  (Or who struggles with the LACK of faith?)  I don’t know about you, but I want to be different than the world around me.  I want to be known for my loyalty to God and for my love for Him and others.  I want my sons to know that praying isn’t just important, it’s VITAL to living.  Basically, I want to be more like Caleb.

A closing prayer:  Lord Jesus, I humbly ask you to do with these words whatever you want to do.  I pray that they reach who they need to today, and that they strengthen and encourage each woman who reads.  Thank you for your word, Lord, and that we have it to live by.  I pray these things in your holy name.  Amen.  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When Jennifer isn't focusing on her family of her husband and four (almost) grown sons, she is passionate about leading women to a deeper knowledge of and relationship with Jesus, through the reading of the Bible and through prayer. After years of serving in student ministry, the Lord pulled her out of that and planted her solidly in the women's ministry within her local church. She leads a small group on Wednesday nights, and together they study the word of God verse by verse, and book by book of the Bible. She loves to write, and you can find her sharing regularly on her blog, Overflowing With Thanksgiving. She also loves to sing and to help lead worship at her church, and will always be a choir girl at heart. You can find out more about her and her hobbies on her favorite social media outlet Instagram, as JenLloydGoodwin.