“As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day;”
Joshua 14:11-12 NKJV
“…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;”
Philippians 1:6 NKJV
As I grow older, I think of Caleb. In fact, he is becoming my “go to” biblical character as I begin to enter the last quarter of my life. He was eighty-five years old and he couldn’t get that mountain off his mind. That was his destiny. That was God’s promise. He had known it for years despite the challenges and setbacks he had experienced with the people of Israel. Remarkably, there was no sound of bitterness or anger flowing from him because he had yet to secure that mountain. It is all the more amazing when you consider that he was one of the voices encouraging the nation to press forward and secure the land, but unfortunately, his passion was largely ignored. Yet, he was neither offended at God or the people. All he could think about was that mountain. He had learned the secret of maintaining a destiny mentality.
Whatever God’s Will and purpose may be for your life, it is never crisis free. There is no circumventing difficulties and the challenging point is not that the difficulty exists, but rather it is, at times, beyond your control to remove it.
Here I sit in my house, along with millions of other Americans, waiting for a pestilence that is beyond my control to subside and I can see the clock ticking. I’m not as old as Caleb was when he made this great declaration, but statistically speaking I am entering into the fourth quarter of my destiny journey. I can feel the clock winding down and candidly, I haven’t secured the “mountain” of God’s promise yet. In some ways I can see it, but the question is whether there will be enough “gas in the tank” and time to get there and secure it. Sitting in my house for potentially another 30 days is not bringing a confidence that I will get to the mountain.
So, what do I do?
What did Caleb do to literally go decades in wilderness wanderings and then national malaise, yet keep the mountain in sight?
He learned the importance of maintenance. Especially when one is in the middle of a crisis or difficulty…even beyond their control.
What is amazing to me is that Caleb had no New Testament revelation as I do. I can quickly remind myself as to what Paul said in these similar moments. I can count on God to finish everything He started. The Lord never leaves a task incomplete and He has never dropped the ball. If He starts something, you can take it to the bank, He will cross the finish line. Even under an old covenant, Caleb had something in his spirit which could arise and say with confidence, “The Lord has kept me alive and spoke His word…” (v.10).
“Now…give me that mountain…”
As I maintain my destiny mentality today, I remind myself that…
I am not the first, nor the only one, to face a difficulty or crisis. This is not a problem, but an opportunity for God to show Himself strong and faithful.
I will say, despite my current circumstances, “Give me that mountain”. God has spoken and has kept me alive. He will finish what He started in my life.
I will persevere and remain tenacious in my faith. I will not shrink back nor throw in the towel. God has no pleasure in such things (Hebrews 10:38). This too shall pass.
I will focus on the future and keep my eyes on that prize. I may not be able to control my circumstances, but I can certainly choose what I focus on.
People are going to come through this time in all sorts of dispositions. I am purposing to come through like Caleb…
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