Speak in faith!

God had clearly instructed Moses and the people, "'Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites…'" (Numbers 13:2, NIV). Do you hear what I hear? God's instruction included a promise, and the promise is sure!

After 40 days, Caleb, one of the spies, came back full of conviction and reported with the others, "...'We went into the land to which You sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is the fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there.'" (Numbers 13:27-28, NIV) To Caleb, rather than being an obstacle, this reality was simply an observation. It wasn't a cause for concern. He trusted God, the giver of the land He'd promised!

But the other spies who didn't trust God instilled fear in the people: "And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored…" (Numbers 13:32, NIV).

Who do you think the people of Israel believed more? Unfortunately, they believed the spies were focusing on the problem rather than on God. As a result, "That night all the members of the community raised their voices and wept aloud." (Numbers 14:1, NIV)

God grew weary of the Israelites' unbelief. "...'How long will these people treat Me with contempt? How long will they refuse to believe in Me, in spite of all the signs I have performed among them?'" (Numbers 14:11, NIV) "'But because My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows Me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.'" (Numbers 14:24, NIV)

Caleb did not experience the fulfillment of God's promise until 45 years later. Did he become bitter during that time because people had so deeply disappointed him? No! He said of himself, "'...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.'" (Joshua 14:10-11, NIV)

Wow! How did Caleb manage to sustain his faith? I believe it was by not talking negatively, like the other spies who'd let the problems outweigh the promise. Instead, Caleb kept trusting the God for whom no obstacle is too great—the God of all possibilities!

My encouragement to you today is to be careful not to talk negatively in the midst of your disappointment. Hold fast to your faith in God. He will be faithful to work powerfully in your life…you will see His miracle! :-)

You are a miracle!

Dèborah