Day 73 - Joshua 13-15

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 73 - Joshua 13-15 (What is Means to Follow God)
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"And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance.  Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel."  (Joshua 14:13-14)

When Moses sent out twelve spies (one spy for each of the twelve tribes of Israel) to the land of Canaan, Caleb and Joshua were the only ones who believed that Israel could defeat the mighty armies that occupied it and as a result, Moses promised Hebron as Caleb's inheritance.  This was the premise with which Caleb approached Joshua to claim Hebron.

The phrase attributed to Caleb "he wholly followed the Lord God" appears three times in chapter 14 of Joshua.  The first mention came from Caleb himself when he mentions it to Joshua as the grounds for which God has granted him Hebron as his inheritance: "...my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God." (14:8).

^{The second instance was in reference to Moses' promise to Caleb to give him Hebron,} "'So Moses swore on that day, saying, "Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children's forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.'" (14:9)

^{The third instance was in the form of a commentary by the author of the book of Joshua: "}Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel." (14:14)  Clearly, God is trying to make a point to us regarding the idea of "wholly following the Lord our God."

So, what does it mean to wholly follow the Lord?  From the example of Caleb in our Sripture passage today, we can conclude that to wholly follow the Lord means this:  It is to believe on His promises and to press on towards that which God has called us to regardless of the seeming impossibility of it.  In the case of Caleb, when all ten spies lost heart after they saw the "giants" of the land, Caleb saw past them and saw his bigger God who was and is able to deliver that which He has promised.

Is there a promise from God that you find impossible to believe and to pursue because of its seeming impossibility?  Perhaps it is a shaky marriage on the verge of collapse; or maybe it might be a financial need that threatens to wipe out your life savings.  Whatever "giant" you may be facing, take courage from the example of Caleb and look past it on see your big God who is able not only to deliver you from your problem but also to give you your reward for wholly following the Lord your God.