You Want to Become Like This!

Fresh Manna 2010 By Pastor Tim Burt

Num 14:24 NIV “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.”

If you are anything like me, you probably have many characters from the Bible that you admire that have helped you in your faith. I know I do. Each of them have helped me know and understand the Lord as well as help strengthen my relationship with Him in different ways. One of those is Caleb. In today’s Fresh Manna verse, God said that Caleb had a “different spirit.” He had said that to Moses at a time when He was pronouncing judgment on His people for casting all trust and faith in Him aside. What would become their destiny would not become Caleb’s. They would become a people that would never enter into the promise land or experience the manifestation of God’s promises in their lives. Why? Because despite how powerfully God would show them and demonstrate His presence and provision in their lives, they would not put faith in Him. They didn’t realize it but they were rejecting His love. Except for two men-Caleb and Joshua.

He proclaimed to Moses that Caleb had a different spirit. Why did God say that about Caleb? He said it because Caleb is the role model of a believer. Caleb was a BELIEVER.

God meant for us as believers, to let His Word and promises permeate every fiber of our being. His desire for us when we would come to a place of pressure would not be to panic or “freak out.” No, He wants us to pause, look toward Heaven, take a deep breath, ask the Lord for help based on His promises, and then absolutely trust Him. Everyone comes to places of pressure but many never come to a place of absolute trust in the Lord. Why not? Because people don’t know God well enough to trust Him. That is our dilemma, not God’s. He has said to us, “…those that seek Me will find Me.” The burden to know God is upon us. He is more than willing to reveal Himself and His love to those that will seek Him with all their heart. Once you really know God, then you really do move over to a place of trust and your faith becomes active and powerful – like Caleb’s. You develop that “different spirit.”

That is what made Caleb different. Nothing in scripture leads us to believe that Caleb was any different from you or I in gifting or ability. What made him different was that he based his entire life upon what God said and promised. Then he acted upon it.

In Josh 14:10-13 we finally see Caleb’s day arrive. Caleb was enabled to collect the reward of his faith. He said to Joshua, “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.” Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.”

The reward of spending time with God in His word and prayer is coming to the place where you are no longer moved by fear and unbelief because of negative circumstances. You have faith that God will leads you through troubled times and your countenance will reflect it. When you are moved by what God has promised you and it shapes your heart, your thoughts, who you are, what you believe and what you pursue -then you will begin to receive the promises of God for yourself. You will also become fully equipped to help others know the gospel of Jesus Christ and His promises. That’s what Caleb did all his life. Be blessed as you become a Caleb believer!

In His love,
Pastor Tim