A SPIRIT LIKE CALEB
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.” Numbers 14:24
It would be a wonderful world if everyone had the right kind of spirit. Obviously, that is not the case; and it certainly wasn’t in Moses’ day. Numbers 13 records how Moses sent spies into the Promised Land to search the land and report back to the congregation. Unfortunately, only two of those spies came back with a positive report — Joshua and Caleb. Ten of the men were pessimistic and unbelieving, urging the people not to obey God. But our text tells us that Caleb had “another spirit with him.” He had a spirit of faith.
We should all work to have A SPIRIT LIKE CALEB. Caleb’s spirit was different from the majority of his brethren. When they were negative, he was positive. When they were doubtful, he believed. When they were hesitant, he was ready. Where they were discouraging, he was encouraging. Where they were fearful, he was courageous. We need more Christians with A SPIRIT LIKE CALEB. The unbelief of the other spies brought great consequences to the Israelites and cost the nation dearly. God judged their disobedience by delaying their entrance into the Promised Land for forty years. The older generation would die in the wilderness because they listened to and believed those who had a spirit unlike Caleb.
The kind of spirit Caleb had is greatly needed in every generation. There will always be those who procrastinate about doing what needs to be done. There will always be people who are doubters when it comes to spiritual progress, and their pessimism can be contagious. Their unbelief has the power to infect the rest of the congregation. We want to be people of faith.
It was not a difficult matter for Caleb. For him, it was reasonable. He was not simply guided by his optimism or gifted with a positive attitude. He knew that it was God’s will that they occupy the land, and anything less than that would be rebellion. He also knew that God would be with them. With these beliefs firmly in his heart, Caleb was absolutely certain that the mission could be accomplished. Having the same confidence that God has made His will known in His Word, and that He has promised to be with us, let us go forward with A SPIRIT LIKE CALEB.