All In?

Joshua 14:6-13 (NIV) ~ 

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.”

Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance.

The Israelites have just conquered a huge territory, made up of thirty-one kings.  They are in the process of divvying up the land among the tribes when 85 year old Caleb approaches Joshua to ask for a portion that had been promised to him by Moses.  He reminds Joshua of how he was one of the spies who had gone ahead to scope out the land and while the other spies came back and made everyone quake with fear, he alone had trusted the Lord to do what He said He would do.

I love what Caleb says, "I, however, followed the Lord my God wholeheartedly."

Wholeheartedly.  Can we say that about ourselves?  Do we follow God with all our hearts?  Do we walk wherever He leads?  Do we do His will unswervingly?  Do we wake up each day with that thought foremost in our thoughts?  

Do we ask ourselves the following questions each day?

• "What task does the Lord have for me today?"
• "How can I glorify Him this day?"
• "Where does He want me to go?"
• "Who does He want me to share His love with?"

I think more often than not we wake up and think about ourselves.  We do what we want, when we want to do it, and think very little about serving the Lord with all our hearts, soul and mind.  Or it depends on our mood.  If I'm in a good mood then yes, I try to live my life for Christ.  If I'm in a bad mood, then I just try to get through the day and hope for the best!

My encouragement and challenge to you today is to be like Caleb.  Serve God wholeheartedly.  Live to do His will.  Live to serve Him.  Let your lives be one of abandonment to the Lord.

When people look back on your life will they say, "She served the Lord wholeheartedly?"