“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 14:24).
Have you ever heard of a saying “going against a tide”! Here are a happy and excited group of lads swimming in one direction, content with all. But one persn notices its the wrong direction and starts to swim agaist the flow. Well, its not easy to ride out and insist on swimming against the flow!
Through the Bible we come acros such incidents. Noah was one person who went against the flow. When the “Lord regretted that he had made human beings and his heart was deeply troubled” (Gen 6:6), there was an exception. “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God” ( vv 9). So, he was picked out of all and survived the flood.
Once Moses tasked a dozen of his best men to scout a land they were just about to invade. When these men explored the enemy territory they returned terrified with a grim report. “They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size..” Numbers 13: 32).
But there were two different lads. “Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us” ( Numbers 14: 6-8).
The Lord would reign hard on the majority who were terrified. Yes, “Of the men who went to explore the land, only Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh survived” ( vv 38).
The times we live in are no more different. There is a certain popular current tide which the majority are happy to flow with. It involves, among others, accepting that there is no difference among genders, or, in other instances, disregarding abuse of others for self again. Like in the past, the current flow seeks cheap popularity. But God is telling us to be different and dare swim against the tide. Indeed, he will reward us as happened to Noah, Joshua and Caleb.
Prayer: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, through generations there have always been the chosen few of a different spirit, whom you have saved, and so I pray you may bless me with that spirit to resist the tide and instead gladly walk with you, this I pray in Jesus’s name!
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17/05/2024 - 18/05/2024 All day“And I in righteousness I shall see your face; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with seeing your likeness” (Psalm 17:15)
One of the defining aspects we see in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ is that He began the day with prayer. “Very early in the morning while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35). As he was always surrounded by crowds and after such a busy day before of preaching and engaging the Pharisees in debates this must have been a therapeutic moment for Christ when he would have some good time to himself.
But there was also more. For Jesus being away in a secluded place would also mean a chance to pour out His heart to God, meditate in quietness, plan for the day ahead and listen to the Father. Jesus must have looked up to this moment every day knowing its benefits. Conversations with His Father must have been real and intimate, bringing a certain soothing and uplifting of His spirit. You do not wake up and stick to something on a daily basis that is a drag – this must have been his best time of the day!
Martin Luther the leader of the protestant reformation is reputed to once have said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Here is the point. In the olden days before the arrival of locomotive transport those who were setting out for a long journey on foot had to start early with the first cock crow before the punishing sun came out. One of the things they had to start with also was a good meal, which was fuel needed to give them energy through the long walk to their destiny.
There are no rules about waking up to pray as first thing- or even saying prayer at a defined hour of the day. God is everywhere and ever with us. He is accessible at any time of the day. But there is something special about prioritizing our lives that the first thing we do is to talk to God. Just like the early traveller we need fuel, for the long day ahead!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, what a joy and privilege to make time at the start of any day, talk and hear from you, for the power I need through the day, this I pray in Jesus’ name!
