From Joshua 14:6-15

The first time Israel stood on the border of the Promised Land, Moses sent spies ahead of them to get the lay of the land.  Those spies saw that the people who already lived there were intimidating and would resist Israel’s conquest, and they reported that Israel shouldn’t go forward.  Caleb and Joshua were the only two spies who returned and said that Israel should rely on God and trust Him to carry them through the campaign.  The Israelites ignore them, choosing to align instead with the fearful spies.  As a result, God punishes the people of Israel by sending them back into the wilderness for forty years with the understanding that no one of that generation would see the Promised Land – with the exception of Joshua and Caleb.  In our reading today, Caleb recalls part of God’s promise to him and asks Joshua to follow through and give him Hebron.  Joshua does exactly that and Caleb takes possession of Hebron.

We can look at Caleb’s life and learn several things about what God expects from His people.  Caleb’s trust in God and Caleb’s faith in God’s promises are both worthy of emulation.  I would like to draw special attention to the fact that he asked Joshua for the thing that God promised.  We might think that God would’ve told Joshua directly to reward Caleb or sent a messenger to do it, but He waited for Caleb to ask.  It reminds me of how God handles our prayers today.  He already knows what we need and what we want, but He still invites us and challenges us to go to Him in prayer to ask for it.  We read about what happened with Caleb and it can remind us that God sometimes waits for us to go to Him and ask Him in prayer for the things we need and want.  It can also remind us that He will listen and that He will follow through on His promise to take care of us.

Focus on God

We are reminded in these verses that God graciously follows through on His promises.

Function in Our Lives

We are encouraged to go to God in prayer for our wants and needs.

Topics to Pray About                                                               

  • Thank God for promising to hear our prayers.
  • Confess to God the times where you don’t go to Him like you should.
  • Ask God to give you what you need to sustain your faith and life.

In His Service,

J. LeBorious