“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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02/05/2024 - 03/05/2024 All day“That is why for Christ’s sake I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when am weak, then I am strong” (2 Cor 12:10)
We all crave to be blessed in life. But was there a believer who was so blessed beyond any circumstances without experiencing some sort of discomfort, in one way or another! A person may apparently be blessed in every single way yet have one troubling matter that constantly drives him down to his knees.
The one mightily blessed with riches may have a family situation that leaves him ever on edge. Someone who seems to be at the height of his profession may be living with an ailment that keeps him ever on tentacles. The one blessed with abundant health might from time to time be dealing with financial woes.
Why do such troubling situations plague even believers? One explanation could be found in the Apostle Paul’s life. Called into ministry and endowed with many gifts, including amazing revelations from above, yet he had a matter that constantly drove him on his knees. “Therefore in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan, to torment me” (2 Cor 12: 7).
Paul would often cry out to God to free him of this particularly troubling matter. But the Lord came back with, “My grace is sufficient for you. For my power is made perfect in your weakness” (2 Cor 12: 9).
The comfort of this lesson is that God is completely aware of whatever might be ever troubling us. Moreover, it could be purposely there, that we constantly place our faith in Him, other than relying on our strength and resources, especially as He blesses us in other uplifting ways.
Prayer for today: Lord Father in heaven, today I pray that whatever matter is constantly troubling me, I know it is for a purpose and you are in total control, to bless me even more, this I pray in Jesus’ name.
