Tuesday; July 20

One of my favorite Old Testament characters is Caleb. Many people recognize the name as a pair of Jewish leaders who were a part of the group who went out to spy out the Promised Land after the Jews had been released from Egyptian Captivity. These men found great opportunity inside the borders of the land, but they also saw the presence of danger and the potential of hard work. Of the twelve spies who entered Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb came back with a positive report. Ten of the twelve said it couldn’t be done and all but led a coup against Moses. Yet, in the midst of this chaos, “… Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will certainly prevail over it.’” (Numbers 13:30). Caleb’s message was one of faith, but it also exuded the confidence the people needed to accomplish their goal. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority rejected his words and a generation lost out on the joy of occupying their own homeland.

As I think about Caleb I am reminded of the need for a message of optimism and confidence in today’s world. There are a lot of people telling us what can’t be done. There is an almost deafening chorus of people proclaiming failure. What we need today are leaders who are willing to profess a belief in God’s plan (and promises) and the confidence to lead us to victory!
We all have a voice in where God’s people are going. Are we expressing hope or helplessness?
Think About It!

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