Drenched
Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that
day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities
were great and fortified. It may be that the Lord will be with me, and I shall
be able to drive them out as the Lord said." (Joshua 14:12)
You'll never
have a problem-free life. Ever. Pigs might fly. Kangaroos might swim. Men might
surrender the remote control. Women might quit buying purses. None of these are
likely, but possible. But a problem-free, no-hassle, blue-sky existence of
smooth sailing? Don't hold your breath. Problems happen. They happen to rich
people, sexy people, educated people and sophisticated people. They happen to
retired people, single people, spiritual people and secular people. All people
have problems. But not all people see problems the same way. Some people are
overcome by their problems; others overcome their problems. Some people are
left bitter; others are left better. Some people face their challenges with
fear. Others with faith. Caleb did. His story stands out because his faith did.
Forty-five years
earlier, when Moses sent the twelve spies into Canaan, Caleb was among them. He
and Joshua believed that the land could be taken. But since the other ten spies
disagreed, the children of Israel ended up wandering in the wilderness. God,
however, took note of Caleb's courage. The man's convictions were so striking
that God paid him a compliment that would make a saint blush. "My servant
Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly." (Num. 14:24)
How would you like to have those words on your resume? So then, what type of spirit
catches the eye of God? What qualifies as a "different spirit"?
Answers begin to emerge during the distribution of the lands west of the
Jordan. But before the people received their inheritance, a promise needed to
be fulfilled. “And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: ‘You
know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me
in Kadesh Barnea.’" (Josh. 14:6)
I'm envisioning a
sturdy guy with sinewy muscles. Caleb, gray-headed and great-hearted, steps
forward. He has a spring to his step, a sparkle in his eye, and a promise to
collect. "Joshua, remember what Moses told you and me at Kadesh
Barnea?" (Id.) Kadesh Barnea. The name stirred a
forty-five-year-old memory in Joshua. It was from this camp that Moses had sent
out twelve spies, and it was in this camp that Moses had received two different
reports. All twelve men agreed on the value of the land – it flowed with milk
and honey. All twelve agreed on the description of the people and the cities –
large and fortified. But only Joshua and Caleb believed that the land could be
taken. Read carefully the words that Caleb spoke to Joshua at the end of the
military campaign:
Caleb . . . said to [Joshua]: ‘You know the
word which the Lord said to Moses
the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old
when Moses the servant of the Lord
sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him
as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the
heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God. So Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the
land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's
forever, because you have wholly followed the
Lord my God.'
And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years,
ever since the Lord spoke this word
to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day,
eighty-five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses
sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for
going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day; for you
heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and
fortified. It may be that the Lord
will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said." (Joshua 14:6-12; emphasis added.)
What name
appears and reappears in Caleb's words? The Lord. The Lord. The Lord. The Lord.
The Lord. The Lord. The Lord. The Lord. The Lord. Nine references to the Lord.
Who was on Caleb's mind? Who was in Caleb's heart? What caused him to have a
different spirit? He centered his mind on the Lord. So what about you? What
emphasis would a transcript of your thoughts reveal? The Lord, or the problem,
the problem, the problem, the problem? The economy, the economy? The jerk, the
jerk? Inheritance people don’t deny the presence of problems. Canaan is full of
giants and Jericho’s. It does no good to pretend that it isn’t. Servants like
Caleb aren't naive, but they immerse their minds in God-thoughts. Caleb was
different because he soaked his mind in God.
The psalmist
showed us how to do this. He asked, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And
why are you disquieted within me?" (Ps. 42:5) He was sad and discouraged.
The struggles of life threatened to pull him under and take another victim. But
at just the right time, the writer made this decision: "Hope in God, for I
shall yet praise Him . . . I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and
from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar." (vv. 5-6) There’s resolve
in those words. "I shall yet . . . I will remember You." The writer
made a deliberate decision to treat his downcast soul with thoughts of God. Everywhere I go, I will remember you – from Jordan
to Hermon to Mizar. Maybe in your case the verse might read, "From the
ICU to the cemetery, to the unemployment line, to the courtroom, I will
remember you." There’s nothing easy about this. Finding God amid the
billows will demand every bit of discipline you can muster. But the result is worth
the strain. Besides, do you really want to meditate on your misery? Will
reciting your problems turn you into a better person? No, but changing your
mind-set will. "Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed."
(John 14:27) Instead, immerse your mind in God-thoughts. When troubles come our
way, we can be stressed and upset, or we can trust God.
Caleb could have
cursed God. He didn't deserve the wilderness. He had to put his dreams on hold
for four decades. Still, he didn't complain or grow bitter. When the time came
for him to inherit his property, he stepped forward with a God-drenched mind to
receive it. "Set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher
things)." (Col. 3:2) When giants are in the land, when doubts swarm your
mind, turn your thoughts to God. Your best thoughts are God-thoughts. He is
above all this mess. He is "the Most High over all the earth." (Ps.
83:18) Moses announced, "Who among the gods is like you, LORD? Who is like
you – majestic in holiness?" (Ex. 15:11) Isaiah wrote, "Holy, holy,
holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" (Isa.
6:3) God is not just holy or holy, holy; he’s holy, holy, holy. Wholly unlike
us. Pain does not plague him. The economy does not faze him. The weather does
not disturb him. Elections do not define him. Diseases do not infect him. Death
cannot claim him. He has resources we do not have, and wisdom we've never
imagined. He is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask
or think." (Eph. 3:20)
Stare at the
mountain less and at the Mountain-Mover more. Ponder the holiness of God. Let
his splendor stun you and inspire you. Turn a deaf ear to doubters. Ignore the
naysayers. People have a right to say what they want. And you have a right to
ignore them. Just because someone sings the blues, doesn’t mean you have to
join the chorus. Caleb and Joshua were outnumbered ten to two, but they still
believed in God's power. "My brethren who went up with me made the heart
of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God." (Josh. 14:8)
Caleb chose to ignore the doubters and believe anyway.
Let's take our
cue from Caleb. Disregard the lethal disbelief of cynics. That’s not to give sanction
for rudeness or isolation. When people express their sincere struggles or
questions, help them. But some folks just don’t want to be helped. They prefer
the wilderness. They traffic in misery, manufacture unhappiness, and spurn
growth. They would rather pull you down than let you pull them up. Don't let
them. Caleb didn't. He filled his mind with faith and took on a God-sized
challenge.
When Moses sent
Caleb to spy out the land, Caleb saw something that troubled him: the town of
Hebron. Hebron held a special spot in the history of the Hebrews. It was the
only piece of land that Abraham ever owned. Abraham buried his wife there. He
was buried there. So were Isaac, Rebekah and Jacob. Hebron was a sacred site.
But on the day Caleb first saw it, the holy hill was inhabited by unholy
people. To see the burial place of Abraham disrespected and disregarded
bothered Caleb. It was more than he could take. So Caleb asked Moses for
Hebron. Hebron, beneath whose oaks Abraham had slept; whose soil had known the
visitation of angels; whose earth entombed the holiest family. Caleb, the man
with a different spirit, had a secret desire. "Just give Hebron to me;
I'll take care of it." So, Moses took the request to God. God gave the
answer, and Caleb was given the land.
And forty-five
years later, at the age of eighty-five, the old soldier was ready to inhabit
Hebron. "Give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day."
(v. 12) Last sighting of Caleb had him turning his face toward Hebron, where he
did what he promised to do. He chased the enemy and reclaimed the city. Caleb
wanted to do something great for God. He lived with a higher call. How high is
yours? Maybe the reason your problems feel so great is because your cause is
too small. Perhaps you need to set your mind on a holy cause, because when your
cause is great, the problems begin to shrink. Do you have a holy cause? A faith
worth preserving? A mission worth living for? Ask God to give you a Hebron to
claim for his glory. A neighbor to encourage. A needy family to feed. A class
to teach. Some senior citizens to encourage. It really is better to give than to
receive.
In the kingdom
of Christ we gain by giving, not taking. We grow by helping, not hurting. We
advance by serving, not demanding. Want to see your troubles evaporate? Help
others with theirs. You'll always face problems. But you don't have to face
them in the same way. Instead, immerse your mind in God-thoughts. Turn a deaf
ear to doubters. Set your mind on a holy cause. Once you find your mountain, no
giant will stop you, no age will disqualify you and no problems will defeat
you. After all, you and Caleb have something in common. You have a different
spirit. You’re drenched.
Grace,
Randy
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