Faithfully Waiting

The story of Caleb is one of my favorites. Caleb was one of the spies who went and checked out the Promise Land. Caleb said Israel would have no issue taking the land because God was on their side. The other spies just saw giants and lost their cool. Caleb had God in his sights and God in his heart. The rest of the spies saw a problem and feared. Their feared cause doubt in Israel and thus, those who feared were going to have to chill in the desert until they died.

But not Caleb. Caleb and Joshua were the only two from that generation that were going to get to live and make it into the Promised Land. Pretty dope, right?

But Israel was in the desert for 40 years. Caleb had a lot of waiting. And one they crossed the Jordan? Well Caleb was still a part of the Israeli army. But Caleb didn't let go of God's promise.

"Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, “You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh 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 fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed theLord 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.’ “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 wilderness. 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, theLord helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance." ~ Joshua 14:6-13

At the age of 85 Caleb just as strongly believed and held to the promises of God. AT 85 Caleb was just as strong and ready to fight with the Lord's help as he was at 40.

This is an extremely encouraging passage of scripture for me. Caleb had to wait 45 years for God's promise to come true in his life. It makes a couple of years not seem so bad. Caleb missed out on the promise land because of the fear of others. Caleb remained faithful but still had to wait. But waiting brought the promise. He remained faithful and trusted that God's word would come true, even 45 years later. It gives me hope and a resolve to keep going and remain faithful.