The obvious difference between these two scriptures is that in one situation Caleb followed God wholeheartedly. When he saw giants in the land God told him to possess, he didn’t think twice about it. The Israelites, however, feared the giants. In Numbers 32 you can see God’s response.
Wholeheartedly means that you do something with complete sincerity and commitment. There is no “fake it ‘till you make it” with wholeheartedness. There was a sense of trust and complete surrender in Caleb’s words when he said to the Israelites, “Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey” – Numbers 14:9. Caleb had grabbed hold of the miracle God had been doing for the Israelites since their release from Egypt. He realized that any lack or delay was not from God but from the Israelites’ lack of faith.
I find it incredibly sad to imagine that an entire nation of God’s people were freed from slavery and bondage and provided for by God in the wilderness, only to deny God and His power and never see their promised land. But God tells us the cause of their demise: they did not follow Him wholeheartedly. If we know God’s promises from His Word and we expect to see them without having to work for them or without following Him wholeheartedly, we will miss it. We will miss the blessings, the promises, and the milk and honey.
Confession for today: “God, I want to be like Joshua and Caleb who saw the land You promised them and ignored the giants they faced because they trusted You entirely. Help me to serve You with my whole heart as they did God. Holy Spirit, point out to me the areas that I have not yet turned over to God and help me to focus my attention there, so that I can reach my promised land. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Believing with you,
Yvonne
