I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

Joshua 14. “Now the people of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, ‘You know what the Lord said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly. So on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly.’ 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 wilderness. 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” (Verses 6-12).  I could read these verses over and over again. Why? Because I want this faith, this belief, this type of trust in my Savior. Caleb for 45 years believed that God would be true to the promise He made to him. Guess what? Caleb was right. 45 years later Caleb at the age of 85 claimed the promise. Feeling as though the promise is never going to be realized? Feeling as though God has forgotten about you? Life can be difficult and in our “right now” world we want every promise fulfilled NOW. We want every question answered NOW. Caleb believed God and waited for the promise to be fulfilled, 45 years later. In those 45 years God rid Israel of the doubters, He went before His people clearing the obstacles that kept them from the promise. God is not lax, He has not forgotten, He will keep His promise… ALWAYS. He uses the time in between to rid the obstacles and grow us up.