Day 11: Numbers 5-15

Check out this verse. It made me chuckle. Numbers 11:11... Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers?

If that doesn't sum up the 40 years in the wilderness, I don't know what does.

Today was a great day. We finally got back to the narrative. Reading a story is way more enjoyable than reading numbers and laws and repeated numbers and repeated laws.

The Israelites finally leave Mt. Sinai. They get to the Promised Land. Moses sends in 12 spies to do some recon.

If you are reading this blog, you probably know the story. 10 were bad and 2 were good. 10 spies come back and talk about the giants and the fortified cities and get all the people to rebel against Moses. Caleb and Joshua come back to talk about how great God is and how they will easily take the land.

Nobody listens to Caleb and Joshua. In fact, they threaten to stone them. Needless to say, this doesn't make God happy. He punishes the Hebrews with 40 years in the Desert and He is going to kill of every person over the age of 20, except Caleb and Joshua.

I want to just rant and rave about how the Israelites should've trusted God. And how I would've trusted God. And how God has provided them with 1000's of God-sized miracles over the past 3 years. But really... do I deserve a soapbox?

Just cause I have a blog doesn't make me any better than them. I can just hope and pray that I can be a Caleb.

My favorite part of this story doesn't happen for another 45 years. Check out Joshua 14:10, Caleb is now 85 years old. 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 desert. 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 is helping me, I will drive them out just as He said.

That's the attitude (that's the life) I want to have. Caleb doesn't get boring in his old age. Caleb becomes this crazy old man who still 100% trusts God.

Caleb is still just as excited for God to work when he is 85 as he was at 45. 40 years of paying for someone else's punishment hasn't slowed down his love and faith in God.

I think too often churches expect (and mold) people to eventually grow out of their crazy, on fire, take-on-the-world for God faith. We call them "mature" Christians.

I pray that I never "mature" (in that sense of the word). As I look at the Bible, I don't see too many "mature," passive Christians. I see men and women who are sold out for God, whether they are 100 years old (Abraham) or 14 years old (David).

The Bible isn't full of Christians who are coasting through life. It is full of people who are "movers and shakers" in their faith.

Pray that I never become a coaster. I always tell Keyla that someday I am going to be a crazy, old guy. I've got 61 years to catch up with Caleb. Let's do this thing.

I'm pumped up... are you?