Like many of you, I’ve been reading my way through the Bible. I’m starting Deuteronomy this week, but have been pondering this verse: But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it. Numbers 14:24.

If we’d had another son, his name would have been Joshua Caleb because they were two men of exceptional faith. They could see what God has promised rather than what was immediately in front of them. In fact, if you want to read some of the reasons they were different from the other ten spies, go to this post. It’s a quick read, but creates some important distinctions in behavior and thought patterns.

But if you go deeper than just (Just!) the spying, when the rest of the Israelites are rebelling against God’s directive to go into the land of Canaan, Joshua and Caleb stand in the gap insisting that God can do everything He promised. After Moses pauses to remind God of who He is:

“Now may the Lord’s strength be displayed, just as you have declared: ¹⁸ ‘The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.’ ¹⁹ In accordance with your great love, forgive the sin of these people, just as you have pardoned them from the time they left Egypt until now.” (Numbers 14:17-19)

The Lord relents. He doesn’t destroy the people of Israel. But He does punish that generation…with the exception of two men. Joshua and Caleb will get to be part of conquering the Promised Land. Yet they have to wander the 4o years with the rest of their generation.

That is so sobering to me.

The Lord recognizes the special spirit that rests on Caleb (and on Joshua). Yet they have to wander with those who lacked faith before they receive the promise. This morning, that lead me to Galatians 6:9:

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

How often do we stop short of the promise?

How often do we decide it’s been too long? God must have forgotten His promise?

Yet both Caleb and Joshua were part of taking the Promised Land. They just (Just!) had to wait 40 years because of the lack of faith of those around them.

Today, I want to live with that spirit of Caleb. I want to live with that different, wholehearted spirit. And I want to bring people with me, so that we don’t have to wander because of a lack of faith.

Lord, help me to live with a Caleb spirit. To love you wholeheartedly. To walk with a different spirit. Amen.