Numbers Chapter 13: Verses 31-32 (NLT Translation)
But the other men who had explored the land with him disagreed. “We can’t go up against them! They are stronger than we are!” So they spread this bad report about the land among the Israelites: “The land we travelled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge.
Numbers 14: Verses 8-9
“And if the Lord is pleased with us, he will bring us safely into that land and give it to us. It is a rich land flowing with milk and honey. Do not rebel against the Lord, and don’t be afraid of the people of the land. They are only helpless prey to us! They have no protection, but the Lord is with us! Don’t be afraid of them!”
Caleb trusted God and didn’t let the circumstances he found himself in detract from that. He and Joshua saw the same things that the other ten tribal leaders did. And the bad report spread by the other ten men, as well as their attitude, affected the future of the Israelites for the next forty years. Caleb did his best to encourage the people, but what sort of person am I?
Faced with difficult circumstances how quickly do we forget God’s promises and focus on the situation we find ourselves in? Or are we like Caleb and keep God’s word at the forefront of our mind? Do we do our best to encourage others who are in difficulty?
Its also important to remember that sometimes the decisions we make have a significant impact on other people.
Dear Lord,
Help me not to be so caught up in my circumstances that I forget Your promises. May I be an encourager of others. I pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.