«All these men who have seen My glory and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness . . . , they certainly shall not see the land of which I swore to their fathers. But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it» (Numbers 14:22-24).
“A DIFFERENT SPIRIT.” What does the Bible mean when it states that Caleb had «a different spirit?»
To answer that, first we have to remember the mission Moses gave to the twelve spies, to acknowledge the land they were about to possess: how strong its inhabitants were, what their natural advantages were and what its geographic characteristics were. When they returned, after a forty-day absence, the group brought back their report: «We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large» (Numbers 13:27, 28, emphasis added).
Caleb soon realized the negative effect those words had on the people and, after asking them to be quiet, he encouraged them to move forward. He told them, «We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it» (v. 30, NIV). «But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are’ » (v. 31, NIV).
The effect was devastating. The people cried, and even talked about returning to Egypt (Numbers 14: l, 2). Then, Caleb and Joshua intervened, «Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them» (v. 9).
Do you realize what happened that day in the Wilderness of Paran? The land had many advantages, and also presented great challenges; but the unbelieving spies only saw the difficulty of the task. Caleb, in turn, had «a different spirit,» a different attitude. Between the difficult circumstances and God, Caleb chose to trust God’s power completely! In other words: the unbelieving spies compared themselves with the Canaanites. What was the result? «We seem like grasshoppers in their sight!» But Caleb compared the same Canaanites with God’s power. And what was the result?
«We will devour them!»
Are you facing great hardships in your life right now? Are trials rising up like «giants» in your path? If that is the case, remember that in critical moments, faith does not look to the giants, but to God’s power instead. That is expressed so nicely by the well-known saying, «Don’t tell God how big your problems are; tell your problems how big your God is.»
Dear heavenly Father, as I face today’s challenges, please help me not to look at the size of my trials, but to look at Your great power to save.
#AdultsDevotional
#RadioJovenAdventista
#MeditacionesDiarias
Taken from: Devotional Readings for Adults 2022
“GREAT IS OUR GOD!”
From: FERNANDO ZABALA
Collaborators: Xiomara Perdomo & Angelica Cuate
