Pastor Bell's Words To Live By

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‘ (Joshua 14:7-9 NIV).

do everything wholeheartedly

After 40 years wandering around the wilderness waiting for the rebellious people to die out, Caleb eventually got his inheritance and the land promised to his tribe. He put this down to following the Lord wholeheartedly. There is a lesson for us all here. This was no quick fix thing. Caleb and Joshua were part of the team that went to ‘spy’ out the land. Whilst 8 of them reported that the land was good but was occupied by giants, Caleb and Joshua also reported that the Land was good and that the Israelites were more than capable of taking the land from the giants who occupied it.

They gave and honest report and were up for the fight since they knew the God always kept his promises. Forty years had rolled by now that the doubters had all perished in the wilderness. The only survivors were Caleb one of the oldest men at 85 and Joshua the prophetic progressive leader.

Caleb reminded Joshua of the promise that Moses made to him and at 85 wanted the most difficult terrain for his people to possess. He said this: “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”(vv11&12).

Today we need people with this Caleb anointing to fight the giants in our land! The giants of sexual immorality; greed and the pervasive media industry, let us destroy them and drive them from among us!

Read Joshua 15