Unrighteousness Mammon...

 

Now Jesus was also saying to the disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a manager [of his estate], and accusations [against this man] were brought to him, that this man was squandering his [master's] possessions. 2 So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an accounting of your management [of my affairs], for you can no longer be [my] manager.' 3 The manager [of the estate] said to himself, ‘What will I do, since my master is taking the management away from me? I am not strong enough to dig [for a living], and I am ashamed to beg. 4 I know what I will do, so that when I am removed from the management, people [who are my master's debtors] will welcome me into their homes.' 5 So he summoned his master's debtors one by one, and he said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?' 6 He said, ‘A hundred measures of [olive] oil.' And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.' 7 Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?' He said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.' He said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.' 8 And his master commended the unjust manager [not for his misdeeds, but] because he had acted shrewdly [by preparing for his future unemployment]; for the sons of this age [the non-believers] are shrewder in relation to their own kind [that is, to the ways of the secular world] than are the sons of light [the believers]. 9 And I tell you [learn from this], make friends for yourselves [for eternity] by means of the wealth of unrighteousness [that is, use material resources as a way to further the work of God], so that when it runs out, they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings.—Luke 16:1-9

Father...Help me to be wise!  Guide me by Your Holy Spirit to be a good steward of the “unrighteousness” mammon with which You have blessed me.   Help me to freely give what I have been freely given to further Your kingdom here on earth.  I do not want to trust in riches or in anything else but in You, the living God, who gives me richly all things to enjoy. Oh, help me to be gracious...to remember that whatever I do for one of my brothers or sisters here on earth...even the least of them...I do it for You.  He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord...the Lord will repay him for his good deed.  

32 "Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell what you have and give alms; provide yourselves money bags which do not grow old, a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys. 34 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.—Luke 12:32-34

Unite my heart, Father, to serve You and You alone!  You are my Treasure...You are the good and right foundation upon which my life is centered.  You are my all in all...my shield and my exceedingly great reward. May all I do and all I say here on this earth reflect to others Your beautiful, life-giving self sacrificing love.  

His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'—Matthew 25:23

23 Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!

For the LORD preserves the faithful,

And fully repays the proud person.

24 Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart,

All you who hope in the LORD.—Psalm 31:23-24

17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting

On those who fear Him,

And His righteousness to children's children,

18 To such as keep His covenant,

And to those who remember His commandments to do them.—Psalm 103:17-18

5 "Is a fast such as this what I have chosen, a day for a man to humble himself [with sorrow in his soul]?

Is it only to bow down his head like a reed

And to make sackcloth and ashes as a bed [pretending to have a repentant heart]?

Do you call this a fast and a day pleasing to the LORD?

6 "[Rather] is this not the fast which I choose,

To undo the bonds of wickedness,

To tear to pieces the ropes of the yoke,

To let the oppressed go free

And break apart every [enslaving] yoke?

7 "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry

And bring the homeless poor into the house;

When you see the naked, that you cover him,

And not to hide yourself from [the needs of] your own flesh and blood?

8 "Then your light will break out like the dawn,

And your healing (restoration, new life) will quickly spring forth;

Your righteousness will go before you [leading you to peace and prosperity],

The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

9 "Then you will call, and the LORD will answer;

You will cry for help, and He will say, ‘Here I am.'

If you take away from your midst the yoke [of oppression],

The finger pointed in scorn [toward the oppressed or the godly], and [every form of] wicked (sinful, unjust) speech,

10 And if you offer yourself to [assist] the hungry

And satisfy the need of the afflicted,

Then your light will rise in darkness

And your gloom will become like midday.

11 "And the LORD will continually guide you,

And satisfy your soul in scorched and dry places,

And give strength to your bones;

And you will be like a watered garden,

And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

12 "And your people will rebuild the ancient ruins;

You will raise up and restore the age-old foundations [of buildings that have been laid waste];

You will be called Repairer of the Breach,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.—Isaiah 58:5-12

Bringing Our Empty Vessels to Him...

 It happened on the same night that the LORD said to him, “Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand. 10 But if you are afraid to go down, go down to the camp with Purah your servant, 11 and you shall hear what they say; and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to go down against the camp.” Then he went down with Purah his servant to the outpost of the armed men who were in the camp. 

Now the Midianites and Amalekites, all the people of the East, were lying in the valley as numerous as locusts; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seashore in multitude.

And when Gideon had come, there was a man telling a dream to his companion. He said, “I have had a dream: To my surprise, a loaf of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian; it came to a tent and struck it so that it fell and overturned, and the tent collapsed.”

Then his companion answered and said, “This is nothing else but the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel! Into his hand God has delivered Midian and the whole camp.” 

And so it was, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, that he worshiped. --Judges 7:9-15

I love that last line...Gideon worshiped!  Judges 6,  7 and 8 tell the story of Gideon and his personal struggle of faith.  Gideon had much trouble believing God.  I, for one, am thankful for Gideon's story.   It encourages me to seek His grace when my own faith fails knowing that my God's compassions fail not.  God's responses to Gideon  show Him as merciful, gracious and forgiving. 

In faith is victory...and here (finally) at the end of chapter 7, we find Gideon. From man's perspective the battle looks impossible to win.  Earlier in the story God had trimmed Gideon's army of 32,000 men down to 300.  Three hundred men going up against 135,000.  Gideon and all of Israel would know as they went into battle and came out victorious that the victory was not theirs but God's. They would not come out with hearts lifted up thinking they had done something.  They would go in and out the same way...knowing they were weak and depending on the strength of their God.  

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

When Gideon returns from his spying adventure into the enemy camp, he tells his men with confidence that the Lord would deliver the enemy into their hands.  Gideon sees the invisible and then by faith does the impossible...wins the battle with God's 300.  Gideon's plan was simple.  Each man was given a trumpet, an empty vessel to break, and a torch.  The men would encircle the enemies camp with their torches hidden inside their vessels.  At Gideon's signal the men would blow the trumpets, break their vessels which would reveal the lights and then shout, "The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!"  God would do the rest. 

What  spoke to my heart in this story was God's  kindness and grace especially in the face of weakness and lack of faith. It filled my heart with love and gratitude.  So often I can be like Gideon.  How comforting to know that our God knows our frames.  He knows that we are dust. 

Another was what happened to Gideon when he stopped doubting and truly believed in His heart that victory was in His God. He worshiped His God and He became a leader.  He and His men brought their empty vessels to battle where the light of God was seen only after these vessels were broken and rendered useless.  When we are weak...that is what God's uses to show Himself strong.  The following verse from Corinthians says it all...may each of us remember it when our faith is tested.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

God is our light and our salvation...whom shall we fear. He is the light of our life. ...of whom shall we be afraid.  When the enemy comes against us...when they encamp all around us and war rises, may we remember our God and may our entire weight of trust and confidence be in Him.  

 

The Parable of the Lost Sheep...

 Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying:

4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ 

7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.—Luke 15:1-7

This is a famous parable...most people probably get its meaning, but maybe you are like me and have not really rethought its meaning since you first heard it as a child.  Having done that (rethought its meaning) this morning, I am feeling...well...sheepish.

I have loved this particular parable since I was a child for two reasons.  The first is because I really love animals, and the second is because I personally HATE to lose anything.  For example, when my children were little, I would take care to ensure that when a toy or puzzle was put away it had all its pieces.  If it didn’t, a search would ensue. I could really relate to the Shepherd’s joy in finding the sheep that was lost. 

Today as I read, I observed a word in verse 7 that I had not noticed in all my previous readings.  The word was “just”, and that one little word made me rethink the entire parable.  Read the verse again and notice how the “just” person is defined. 

 7 I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance

Do you see why I am feeling sheepish?  Inserting myself into the story, I am the lost sheep who was found!  The other 99 are the ones who are really lost because they think they are righteous and, therefore, have no need of repentance. The Bible says that there is none that are righteous...no not one...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Beloved....the Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost. He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  The joy of God Himself is when a blinded, lost “sheep” comes to repentance. 

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.—Hebrews 12:2

For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.—2 Peter 2:25

Forsaking All...

 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it--“lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, “saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ “Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? “Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. “So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.—Luke 14:27-33

Consider the cost...yes.  Also, consider the cost of not following Him.  It is greater.

For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

Those who trust in their wealth

And boast in the multitude of their riches,

None of them can by any means redeem his brother,

Nor give to God a ransom for him--

For the redemption of their souls is costly,

And it shall cease forever--

That he should continue to live eternally,

And not see the Pit.—Psalm 49:6-9

The way of a disciple of Jesus is hard and the cost can be high...very high. Grief, sorrow and discouragement are often your constant companions.  The good news is that you do not carry these burdens alone.  

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.—2 Corinthians 1:3-5

The Lord your God is with you, goes before you and is in you. His righteous right hand will uphold and guide you as you make His footsteps your pathway. He will be your sun and your shield.  Beloved...trust Him.  The LORD will give grace and glory...no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  It is His pleasure to give you the kingdom.  Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.—Galatians 2:20

The One Who Makes My Crooked Places Straight...

 I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly;

I go mourning all the day long.—Psalm 38:6

Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. 12 But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.” 13 And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.—Luke 13:10-13

Father...I can so relate to this woman...not in the physical sense but in the spiritual.   So often I spend my day with my eyes on the ground...on the dirt beneath my feet rather than where I truly am seated...in the heavenly places in Christ.  

Thank you Father that you see my heart and You see my struggle. Truly, You are my burden bearer, my heart healer and always the the lifter of my head.  You level the mountains before me, break down the gates of bronze, cut the bars of iron asunder and makes my crooked places straight. You focus my eyes on things above rather than on the ground below.   

Hear the cries of my heart, Father, even before I pray them.  Loose me from my pride today. Enable me to be still before You knowing that You are God...You will complete that good work You began in me.  By Your Spirit of grace may I live today in a way that glorifies You. You are My Emanuel...my God who is always with me. 

14 The LORD upholds all who fall,

And raises up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

And You give them their food in due season.

16 You open Your hand

And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all His ways,

Gracious in all His works.

18 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him,

To all who call upon Him in truth.

19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him;

He also will hear their cry and save them.

20 The LORD preserves all who love Him,—Psalm 145:14-20

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.—Philippians 4:6-7

"God resists the proud,

But gives grace to the humble."

6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, 7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.—1Peter 5:5-6

Be Still, and know that I am God...

 Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!--Psalm 46:10

God's sovereignty over the affairs of men…Be still or in Hebrew "raphaph" is such a good reminder for me when I am in the midst of the seemingly endless fleshly battle that I fight entitled:  "What I Want That I Am Not Getting"  

The word "STILL" OR "RAPHAH"  means TO SINK, RELAX, LET DROP, BE DISHEARTENED, DESIST FROM YOUR WAR….

I really love that description.  It exactly describes what I need to do in the midst of that fleshly battle I mentioned earlier.  I questioned "disheartened" till I thought about it a little more…Biblically the heart is the seat of the will…so take the "heart" or your passionate desire to get what you want…disarm yourself of self...and remember that He is God…He is sovereign…cast all your cares upon Him because He cares for You….Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 14:10

 The heart knows its own bitterness,

And a stranger does not share its joy.—Proverbs 14:10

At first glance this verse seems like a very sad commentary on life in this fallen world.  No one on this earth can’t really share my joy nor feel my sorrow.  Both my suffering and my rejoicing at their very deepest level is personal and private.  They are both mine to bear.  

For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him?—1 Corinthians 2:11a

(That is not to say that we shouldn’t rejoice with the those who rejoice and weep with those who weep as Romans 12 exhorts us. In fact, Galatians 6 reminds us that we are to bear one another’s burdens and in so doing fulfill the law of Christ.)

I say all of this not to bring my reader to despair but to make my point.  Whether people understand our sorrow or our joy is of no real consequence because our God does!  He not only understands...He considers them and bears them!!  Jesus brought His greatest earthly sorrow to His Father in Heaven and surrendered it into His care at Gethsemane.  Yes, He asked that the disciples remain awake and pray with Him, but despite their regard for Jesus, they could not stay awake with Him even for an hour. Solomon also alludes to this in His prayer of dedication when the Ark was brought into the temple.  

whatever prayer, whatever plea is made by any man or by all your people Israel, each knowing the affliction of his own heart and stretching out his hands toward this house, then hear in heaven your dwelling place and forgive and act and render to each whose heart you know, according to all his ways (for you, you only, know the hearts of all the children of mankind), (1 Kings 8:38-39 ESV)

Psalm 139 tells us that our God knows everything about us, and Colossians 2 reminds us that we are complete in Him.  Beloved, the Lord is our Shepherd, in Him, we have everything we need.  He is our refuge and our strength.  A very present help in trouble. 

Trust in Him at all times, you people;

Pour out your heart before Him;

God is a refuge for us. Selah—Psalm 62:8

Take Therefore No Thought...

 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day [is] the evil thereof.--Matthew 6:34

To My Beloved Daughters in Him:

This is the third time the phrase "take no thought" is used in Matthew 6.  All of us are faced with troubles and trials in this life.  They are a great equalizer among men...Job 5 says, Yet man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward."  A rich man concerns himself with his worldly goods..a poor man worries about his immediate physical need.  Either focus is worldly in the sense that it  take our our minds off of God...and places them on the things of the world.  Jesus says, "TAKE THEREFORE NO THOUGHT."  (emphasis mine)  

Look at what comes right before this verse in Matthew Chapter 6:  

 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.--Matthew 6:31-33:

Seek first the things of God and of His Kingdom....make your priorities heavenly ones and all the rest will be added unto you.  Beloved, live your lives in the here and now.  Focus on the eternal in the moment.  God gives us manna for the day....He gives us our DAILY bread.  He will be with us according to our need in the moment.  His grace is sufficient and as our days are so shall our strength be.  Tackle today's problems with today's strength. ( are you getting the message...I probably need several more admonitions to get the message through to my own heart ) The word sufficient here in the Greek means enough; being possessed with unfailing strength.  It carries with it the idea of raising a barrier...I like that...as if to say to your worry..this far and no further...SUFFICIENT FOR THE DAY!!   

Look at the farmer...he plows,  he sows and he reaps.  In this sense he does prepare for tomorrow and the future.   Planning for the future, however, should never be his or our main focus or concern.  It should not dominate our thoughts.  The future should NEVER TRUMP today.  Beloved, we are not sufficient of our ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves....OUR SUFFICIENCY IS FROM HIM.  Abide in His word...seek His truth....store up yourselves treasure in heaven where no one and no thing can take them away.  

Today I remind each of us of the names given to our God in the Old Testament.  A name in the Old Testament was not only used to identify someone but it was his identity...a name revealed who someone was...it revealed his character.   Here are the names given to our God...the Great I AM or the Becoming One...the One who becomes for us whatever our need might be.  When worry and concern for tomorrow creep in, meditate on these.  

• El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)
• El Elyon (The Most High God)
• Adonai (Lord, Master)
• Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)
• Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)
• Jehovah-Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)
• Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)
• Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)
• Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)
• Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)
• El Olam (The Everlasting God)
• Elohim (God)
• Qanna (Jealous)
• Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)
• Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)
• Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

Search Me O God...

 Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;

Test me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way.—Psalm 139:23-24 Amplified

Psalm 139 is all about God’s omniscience and omnipresence in our life as believers. 

His Omniscience describes his complete knowledge and understanding of all things at all times.  His omnipresence describes his presence in all places at all times.  These attributes of God for me are among the most comforting.  My God knows everything about me (He knows me better than I know myself) and still loves me, and there is never a moment where I am not visible to Him.  He “sees” me   When sin tempts His presence keeps me from wrong paths. When fear takes hold, His Presence provides protection and comfort.  Whatever I face here in this vale of tears I can be certain that my all knowing, unchanging and everywhere present God will uphold and sustain me.  

David, here in these last two verses gives God free access to His heart. Why? Because He never wants the fellowship He enjoys with God to be interrupted or broken by sin.  His desire is for God to reveal to him his sin. He does not want to walk in any wicked way.  I feel the same. I want to  share every moment of every day with my Beloved in precious and unbroken fellowship.

Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart;

Test me and know my anxious thoughts;

And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me,

And lead me in the everlasting way.

Oh Father!  I do not want to walk according to the dictates of my own heart but in the promptings and gentle voice of Your gracious Spirit who lives within me. I want to lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares me so that I can run with endurance the race that is before me.  Help me to keep my eyes on my Jesus who is the Author and Finisher of my faith..who for the joy that was set before Him ( our salvation) endured the cross, despising the shame.  

I want the peaceable fruit of righteousness in my life. Search my heart thoroughly and show me my sin.  Strengthen my hands which hang down and my feeble knees.  Make straight paths for my feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated but healed.  Let no root of bitterness spring up in my heart and cause trouble.  Lead me in Your right and everlasting way.  Keep me in Your affectionate care, protect me as the apple of Your eye and hide me in the shadow of Your wings. 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.—1 John 1:9

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"

Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother's womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How great is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;

When I awake, I am still with You.

19 Oh, that You would slay the wicked, O God!

Depart from me, therefore, you bloodthirsty men.

20 For they speak against You wickedly;

Your enemies take Your name in vain.

21 Do I not hate them, O LORD, who hate You?

And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?

22 I hate them with perfect hatred;

I count them my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting.—Psalm 139

Caleb, the Son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite...

Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 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.’ 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”  13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 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 14:6-14

I stopped in the midst of my reading today to think on the life of Caleb, whose name means “dog”.  If I am honest, I have always felt that he got short-changed in the name department, and I love dogs.  But now that I think about it...maybe he didn’t.  

A good dog is single-minded, obedient, faithful, loyal and brave. His heart, body and “spirit”...I know that is a stretch...are wholly focused on his Master.  And that was Caleb in a nutshell. 

Caleb was one of the 12 spies selected by Moses to spy out the land.  Of the 12, only he and Joshua brought back a positive report. The other 10 were overcome by fear, desiring to return to Egypt rather than obey God and take possession of the land. Caleb, on the other hand, was courageous, willing and unafraid. 

Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it."  31 But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we." 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, "The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."—Numbers 13:30-33

Caleb lived by faith and not by sight.  He knew that God would make good on His promise...He would fight for him.

Caleb is speaking here to Joshua...

Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God. 9 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.’ 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.  Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”—Joshua 14:8-12

AND 45 years later, when Caleb was 85 (and still willing to fight the giants), the Lord gave him the land on which he walked because he wholly followed Him.

Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher).—Joshua 15:14-15

Caleb walked in truth, believing God and taking Him at His word.  Caleb’s speech and his life lived in harmony. They never failed to express his love for God.  Beloved...when we walk this way (unafraid and loving God with all of our heart), we encourage others to do the same. Trust God.  Hold on to His promises.  

Matthew Henry says this about Caleb:

Caleb answered to his name, which signifies "all heart." Hebron was settled on Caleb and his heirs, because he wholly followed the Lord God of Israel. Happy are we if we follow him. Singular piety shall be crowned with singular favor.

I loved what Mr Henry said Caleb’s name signified...in my old age, I want to be “all heart” for God like Caleb was.  

Oh Father...Give us steadfast hearts to walk as Caleb did... courageous, loyal, willing and unafraid...wholly following the Lord our God.

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.—1 John 5:4