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Daily Devotion: Joshua 14:10-12


Joshua 14:10-12     "And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.  (11)  As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.  (12)  Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said."

As Joshua is dividing the land unto the various tribes (families), he comes to Caleb. Remember Caleb? He and Joshua were the only two out of the twelve spies to stand bold in the Lord. He had stood with Joshua to proclaim that if the Lord was willing, the land would be taken and given to Israel. He and Joshua were the only two men of that generation to live to see the Promised Land.  He comes to Joshua with what might seem to be a peculiar request. Out of all the fertile farmland, Caleb requests his inheritance to be "this mountain." Give me this mountain to climb. I'm 85 years old and as strong as I ever was. Give me the mountain where the great walled cities are situated and where the giants inhabit.  You would think that at that age, he would want the nice fertile valley where he could sit back and have his ease as he lived out his life.

Caleb was exercising the same faith at this time as he did forty years prior to this. He could boast of his strength because his strength was in the Lord. He knew the land would be given to him but he also knew that in that land, he would see the power of God resting upon himself and his family. Caleb's boast was in the Lord.  He knew the Lord would see him through and give great victory in his life even at that age.

We also can make our boast in the Lord and His strength. It is by His grace and power that we are able to go from day to day. There was a day when a man brought his son to the disciples of Jesus to have the evil spirits removed from him. The disciples were not able to accomplish it. Jesus cast out the spirits, the disciples asked him a question. "Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?  (20)  And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (Matthew 17:19-20)

Life throws obstacles in our path which require faith, even as a grain of mustard seed, to overcome. By God's grace, every blood bought, Spirit born child of God has this faith. We are called upon to exercise it by trusting the Lord Jesus as He leads us through life. Caleb said, "Give me that mountain." God gave and then God gave great victory.  We serve the same God today.

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