Joshua and Caleb never allowed their own hearts to become hardened due to the failures of that generation they journeyed with, neither did the unbelief and disobedience of that generation taint the hope and bold faith which burnt in their hearts.
The focus of their hearts was single and their thoughts were continually:
Numbers 14:
8If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
They only wanted to walk to fully please God and walk continually in the grace and acceptance of God, in obedience and faith, to be in his highest favor, to walk in the good, acceptable, even the perfect will of the Father. (Romans 12:2).
In that favor, they would possess both freedom from the lifestyle and mentality of slavery and gain the freedom, dignity, purity and courage offered to those who would walk as sons who pleased God, sons who are not ashamed to trust in God, who could obtain the promises which were given freely.
Numbers 14:
28Tell them, As I live, says the Lord, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you:
29Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness--of all who were numbered of you, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,
30Surely none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
By faith and obedience they received that divine declaration that divine seal of God's acceptance of their faith, "none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun." A declaration, a promise from God which would shape decades of their life to come, and cause them to lead and impact a whole other generation of people which would also enter fully into God's promises. They became pioneers and models and leaders of the next generation through faith.
As unto the unbelief of the generation who walked who did not believe in the goodness of Jehovah, so it what they believed happened unto them, but as unto the faith of these two men who reckoned in the faithfulness, goodness and the unchanging character of a merciful, gracious and mighty God, they obtained what God promised : you shall enter into my promises, my inheritance, a plentiful land, a life of abundance, a life of holiness, faith, dignity, purity and character - a life that pleases God and feeds itself an sustains itself on the abundant mercies and joys of reliance on God's great generosity. They entered the promised land while on earth. "they kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."
Deut 11:21
21That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
Thereby becoming examples of faith and offering to us a model of persistent and enduring faith who were bold to believe in the character of Jehovah - that Jehovah delights in changing and setting salves which live in bondage into freedom. That at the core of the heart of Jehovah, that the heart of God our Father longs to manifest Himself as a deliverer. The One who delivered them from the bondage to egypt - the world, to the prince of the power of that world - pharaoh and satan and delivers them into freedom, out of the darkness of spiritual bondage into the freedom and glory of His presence, His marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9). If only men would believe in Him, seek Him and walk in that lifestyle of purity, faith and character, God would be free to manifest Himself as a Father, a God of victory and liberation, a God of love.
They dared to believe: that though they were born slaves, they would walk into the freedom of the Sons of God, though they were but mortal men, the Goodness and faithfulness of God was sufficient. They could boldly come into their heritage and full inheritance as fully mature sons, sons who were able to walk and please the Father though loyalty and trust in God and manifesting bold faith to obtain the promises which were given to them.
Never let disappointment and hurt and discouragement - even 40 years of it taint your faith, but shake it off and believe afresh in the character and promises of a God who is good and lavish in mercy a God who is faithful, a God who is mighty, whose word never fails. A God who keeps and fulfills all His word.
Joshua 21:45
Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
So what if nobody else believes? As people of faith we are certain to be treated as strangers in a strange land. Furthermore, there is bound to be a generation who is the first to believe in God, a pioneer generation, An Abraham generation.
All the patriarchs of faith believed and did not allow the generation of those living with them to taint or steal their faith. the promises that God gives to us personally are precious. we would do well to heed them, treasure them in our hearts and train our heart to believe in them in the face of the fiercest opposition and disappointment.
The patriarchs believed and did not come into their fulfillment that was promised but God will fulfill every word He speaks nonetheless. We would do well to heed His word especially the things He Himself speaks to our hearts we would gain commendation to God through faith, if not on earth then when we depart.
The focus of their hearts was single and their thoughts were continually:
Numbers 14:
8If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land flowing with milk and honey.
They only wanted to walk to fully please God and walk continually in the grace and acceptance of God, in obedience and faith, to be in his highest favor, to walk in the good, acceptable, even the perfect will of the Father. (Romans 12:2).
In that favor, they would possess both freedom from the lifestyle and mentality of slavery and gain the freedom, dignity, purity and courage offered to those who would walk as sons who pleased God, sons who are not ashamed to trust in God, who could obtain the promises which were given freely.
Numbers 14:
28Tell them, As I live, says the Lord, what you have said in My hearing I will do to you:
29Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness--of all who were numbered of you, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,
30Surely none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.
By faith and obedience they received that divine declaration that divine seal of God's acceptance of their faith, "none shall come into the land in which I swore to make you dwell, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun." A declaration, a promise from God which would shape decades of their life to come, and cause them to lead and impact a whole other generation of people which would also enter fully into God's promises. They became pioneers and models and leaders of the next generation through faith.
As unto the unbelief of the generation who walked who did not believe in the goodness of Jehovah, so it what they believed happened unto them, but as unto the faith of these two men who reckoned in the faithfulness, goodness and the unchanging character of a merciful, gracious and mighty God, they obtained what God promised : you shall enter into my promises, my inheritance, a plentiful land, a life of abundance, a life of holiness, faith, dignity, purity and character - a life that pleases God and feeds itself an sustains itself on the abundant mercies and joys of reliance on God's great generosity. They entered the promised land while on earth. "they kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven."
Deut 11:21
21That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.
Thereby becoming examples of faith and offering to us a model of persistent and enduring faith who were bold to believe in the character of Jehovah - that Jehovah delights in changing and setting salves which live in bondage into freedom. That at the core of the heart of Jehovah, that the heart of God our Father longs to manifest Himself as a deliverer. The One who delivered them from the bondage to egypt - the world, to the prince of the power of that world - pharaoh and satan and delivers them into freedom, out of the darkness of spiritual bondage into the freedom and glory of His presence, His marvelous light. (1 Pet 2:9). If only men would believe in Him, seek Him and walk in that lifestyle of purity, faith and character, God would be free to manifest Himself as a Father, a God of victory and liberation, a God of love.
They dared to believe: that though they were born slaves, they would walk into the freedom of the Sons of God, though they were but mortal men, the Goodness and faithfulness of God was sufficient. They could boldly come into their heritage and full inheritance as fully mature sons, sons who were able to walk and please the Father though loyalty and trust in God and manifesting bold faith to obtain the promises which were given to them.
Never let disappointment and hurt and discouragement - even 40 years of it taint your faith, but shake it off and believe afresh in the character and promises of a God who is good and lavish in mercy a God who is faithful, a God who is mighty, whose word never fails. A God who keeps and fulfills all His word.
Joshua 21:45
Not one word of all the good promises that the LORD had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.
So what if nobody else believes? As people of faith we are certain to be treated as strangers in a strange land. Furthermore, there is bound to be a generation who is the first to believe in God, a pioneer generation, An Abraham generation.
All the patriarchs of faith believed and did not allow the generation of those living with them to taint or steal their faith. the promises that God gives to us personally are precious. we would do well to heed them, treasure them in our hearts and train our heart to believe in them in the face of the fiercest opposition and disappointment.
The patriarchs believed and did not come into their fulfillment that was promised but God will fulfill every word He speaks nonetheless. We would do well to heed His word especially the things He Himself speaks to our hearts we would gain commendation to God through faith, if not on earth then when we depart.
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