Influencers Weekly Devotional

Abide with ME

Abiding Physically - Part Five

The Spirit of Caleb

SCRIPTURE: “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed ME fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.” Numbers 14:24 THOUGHT: Caleb was one of only two spies who went into the Promised Land and came back and to say, “We can take the land!” As a result of his courage in God, and his place with God, Caleb was invited to go to a place that God had prepared for him. Unfortunately for all the other people, only Caleb and Joshua were allowed in this place. Could it be that God works in the same way with His men today? Does He have a place for us in attitude, perspective, emotion, spirit and even physical, that He wants us to go, but we are reluctant to follow Him to it for it looks fearful? On the other hand, does God also reward those men who are willing to have a different spirit from the rest of the crowd, and boldly follow where He would lead us? APPLICATION: The words, “because he has a different spirit”, jumped off the page to me. This seems important, for I want to also be known as a man with a different spirit. Maybe it could even be called “The spirit of Caleb?” Would you also like this for yourself? If so, a price will have to be paid. As I look into the history of this man, Caleb, some things stand out. The first distinctive was his family lineage, for he was a true Israelite by birth and was associated with, and represented, the tribe of Judah as one of the 12 spies. He had a good foundation in his faith, or at least as much as was possible at the time. However, the other 10 spies likely had an equal foundation, but it didn’t increase their courage or help their outcome. So, it is apparent it is not just about our birth family, or their involvement into the molding of our lives, that creates a different spirit. It helps, but it requires more than that. The spirit of a man is developed in the crucible of fire, as it is forged by challenges and hardships that are endured with resolve until the test is ended. This kind of spirit doesn’t come easily. It requires discipline and fortitude. But the very act of our commitment to this training in righteousness will give way to a new man, a man who has the spirit I speak of. Another interesting fact is that the name Caleb is spelled with the same consonants as kéle?, meaning dog.However, it would be a mistake to think that Caleb was thought of in a demeaning way such as a dog, for it has a different connotation. Rather, the connotation in his name is seen as dog-like in the sense of being fleet-footed like a dog. Semitic lore at the time would have exalted this trait as a model of physical fitness. Truthfully, I think Caleb was a genuine athlete, as his name would indicate. His name implied he could run with the hounds and overtake a deer. He likely had greater than average strength. Evidenced with the case that he had no fear of the giants in the Promised Land, he was courageous when tested and ready to take on any challenge put in his way. It is apparent he was also pleasing to the Most High God, and as a result, he was identified by God as His servant, as stated in the above scripture. Caleb was an example of a man who abided in his relationship with God both spiritually and physically, and as well, found in this a good formula for keeping himself physically fit all of his life. Look what he said about himselfin Joshua 14:10: “And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, just as he said, these forty-five years since the time that the LORD spoke this word to Moses, while Israel walked in the wilderness. And now, behold, I am this day eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was in the day that Moses sent me; my strength now is as my strength was then, for war and for going and coming.” Caleb was about 45 years old when he spied out the land. He was 85 years old when God allowed him to enter the land. That’s a long time to wait for God’s promise to be fulfilled. Therefore, it is also obvious that Caleb was a faithfully patient man, who accepted God’s sovereign rule over his life and was willing to wait out God’s plan as it unfolded. In the end, God kept His promise to take Caleb and his family to his inheritance in the Promised Land. But that’s nothing new, for God always keeps His promises. What is unique is to see a man who is willing to put his life in harm’s way by relying on God to keep His promises. What is unique is to see a man alter his life away from the common attitudes and practices of the land to keep time to a different drumbeat, a drumbeat that comes from Heaven. This man can be described only one way. He is a man with a different spirit. This is the man who God delights in. This is a man we need as an example in this land and time today. It is a man I want to be. Will you join me? REPLY: My King. I see in Caleb a man who was a man’s man that other men would follow, and yet, I see a man who was simple in his faith and practice of it. He was not complex. He was not exalted head and shoulders above his peers, but he still stood out. He stood out because he stood for You, and he stood for right, and he stood with courage. What makes a man such as this? What makes a man be willing to conquer his fears with only one hope, and that is the hope that You will be there for him when his battles rage on longer than expected, and he becomes so weary that he cannot lift his sword for another thrust? What makes a man still stand in the gap for his family and friends even when he himself feels like he is the only watchman on the walls in the deepest dark of night? What gives a man this spirit? I think I know the answer. You have shown me that it is not the man’s own spirit that wins these battles and stands victor in the end. It is the Spirit of the Living God Who takes the prize and wins the race for the man, as he puts his trust in You. It is this courageous trust seen in Caleb that was the spirit that you saw and pleased You so greatly. You have also shown me that Your Spirit is imparted to a man who abides in You and seeks You in such a way. So, I guess Caleb had it right all along. He walked with you. He trusted You, and as a result, He pleased You, for You saw something in him that reminded You of Your Son. That is the Spirit that always pleases You, isn’t it Father? It is in His name I pray, Rocky CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A COPY OF THIS DEVOTIONAL