And they told him, “We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:27-28,30
God promised the Israelites that they would be given a land flowing with milk and honey. Now, there it was. But settling in the land was not going to be easy. God never told them that it would be. They just assumed it. What He did promise is that He would be their God and they His children. He took care of them in the wilderness, He wasn’t going to abandon them now, or ever. God already occupied the land.
How do you look at your life? God promises us the same thing. We are told not to be anxious for anything but to seek His righteousness first and foremost. His mercies are new every morning and He blesses our lives. But way too often, don’t we just see the hard stuff – the obstacles, the giants, the things we must overcome?
Like the Israelites we have a choice. Accept that God already occupies our lives and that through Him we can do all things, or not venture out to claim our blessings because it might take effort. The Christian life is not an easy one. Each day we must battle the well fortified views of the world that go against what the Bible teaches. We must fight temptations and rise above them. But, God is here and now occupying a space in our hearts. He is still performing miracles, still comforting those who mourn, still strengthening those who call upon His name.
Lord, I want to be like Caleb and firmly believe that there is nothing You cannot equip me to handle today. Let me claim your blessings and occupy them, knowing I can overcome the obstacles that may be in the way. Let me see those obstacles as opportunities to gain strength from You and rely on You more and more. Give me the trumpet of Your Holy Word to send the walls of doubt and fear crumbling, just as You did for Caleb and Joshua at Jericho. With your Holy Spirit that armors us and through Your Son who has already won the battle, Amen.
