Wholehearted Faith
"I was forty years old when Moses, the servant of the Lord, sent me from Kadesh-barnea to explore the land of Canaan. I returned and gave an honest report, but my brothers who went with me frightened the people from entering the Promised Land. For my part, I wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God." -Joshua 14:7-8
Caleb was a scout for the tribe of Israel. He went into the land God had promised Israel with 11 other scouts to see what was there. Caleb was the only one who came back with a positive report, in spite of the obstacles they saw. He trusted in God, and if God said He was going to deliver the land to the Israelites, well, he believed Him!
Caleb tried to quiet the people as they stood before Moses. "Let's go at once to take the land," he said. "We can certainly conquer it!" -Numbers 13:30
The trouble was, he had a hard time convincing the people and the other 10 scouts who saw things differently. "But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. 'We can't go up against them! They are stronger than we are!'" (Numbers 13:31) The people talked about stoning Caleb and also Joshua, who agreed with Caleb. But the people’s perspective had dire consequences. Because the Israelites did not trust God, they could not go into the promised land for another 40 years so the generation that did not believe could die out. Finally, after those 40 years, Joshua and Caleb were allowed to go with the younger generation, and God blessed Caleb for his wholehearted faith in God by giving him land. (Numbers 14:13 & 14)
Would you say you are wholeheartedly seeking and serving God? If you haven't been, pray to Him and ask for forgiveness, and tell Him that you are willing to serve him with your whole heart. We don't have to be afraid to serve God wholeheartedly. He has the best in store for us, and he will reward us for our obedience.
Are you serving God wholeheartedly today?
Related resource: Smith Wigglesworth on Manifesting the Power of God: Walking in God's Anointing by Smith Wigglesworth
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