Mountain Taking

Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke …….. and I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said.”

(Joshua 14:12, NKJV)

With the passage of days and as we get older, nature tells us that there are some things that we should leave behind as time is passed so that others after us can take them up.  Our bodies at times agree with the thought above and so we hear people refer to when I was younger I could do this better.  It could be fact that one might not have the agility that he once had and is getting slower with years passing.  The truth however is that our hearts and spirits could still enjoy doing those things which we had envisioned when we were younger.  The age-old conflict between the spirit and the body ensues as we try to balance what seems to be the facts of our bodies versus the expectations of our hearts and minds.  This is an on-going conversation in most people’s lives and it only gets louder as we age in years.

Our reference verse is by Caleb at the age of 85 years.  Caleb was one of the 12 spies that Moses sent to Cannan to check if the Israelites could take over the land.  Ten of the spies gave defeatist responses, seeing themselves as incapable of winning the battle for the land and it was only Caleb and Joshua who gave encouraging messages that by the hand of God they would overcome (Numbers 13).  Caleb had lived with a promise of God for an inheritance and so he approached Joshua as the leader to grant him his land.  When we think of this scenario, we are quick to note Caleb’s age which could be a discouragement to many, yet Caleb says that he is as strong as he was when they spied the land and so he was ready to step into battle for the land (Joshua 14:11).  His years in age since he received the promise had doubled, yet his mind and heart were still young.  Beloved, Caleb had a mindset which said that nothing was impossible for him to achieve.  His heart was anchored on the faithfulness of the God who had promised him the land and he knew the promises of God are yes and amen (2 Corinthians 1:20), there was no turning back with God.  He knew that nothing is impossible when God is involved (Philippians 4:13), and so he was ready to step forward even when others would have been discouraged.

Brethren, the year is young and some of us are still planning what we should do this year.  It is possible that some things seem impossible and the voice in your head as well as others around you could be talking you out of it.  This was not so for Caleb, he knew who was in charge, the God who never fails.  Paul reminds us that we know who we have believed in and we know He is able to do more than we can ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20).  Yes, we have the conviction of the God who goes before us and makes our paths straight, the God who waits for us to step forward into the water and He holds us up like He did with Peter (Matthew 14:22-33), He will not let you fail or drown.  Beloved, step into what the Lord has put in your heart, trust Him to carry you through and watch Him give you victory for His glory.  It all starts with you daring to believe to step forward, Caleb did, so can you.

Thoughts:

Are there things you are afraid to step into?

What does God say about your succeeding in these things?

What is your mindset for year 2025?