Category: Strength for Today

Joshua 14:6
“Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.”

We often hear that life is short, but life is long when it comes to worthy accomplishments. Many people find themselves having short lived accomplishments, but very few people ever make lifelong accomplishments. It is even better to have accomplishments that are unregrettable.

Caleb was a man who had unregrettable accomplishments in his life. When you look at the end of his life, he had no regrets about certain decisions and actions. When his life came to an end, he was one of two men who came out of Egypt and was able to enter the Promised Land. There were four obvious traits that helped him to have unregrettable accomplishments.

First, he had a different spirit than others. Verse 8 shows us that while many of Caleb’s fellow workers were negative, he was able to overcome their negativity and have a positive outlook on life. He had a spirit that was not based off feelings or perceptions, but on God’s promises. You will never live a life of unregrettable accomplishments if you don’t learn to have a different spirit than others around you. You cannot allow others to affect your spirit. You must let your spirit be influenced by the promises of God’s Word. When you study God’s Word and see that His promises are true, it is not hard to keep a different spirit than the negative spirits around you.

Second, he had a perfect focus. Caleb said in verse 10, “And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive…” His focus was upon the LORD. He completely understood from where his success came. If you want to live a life with unregrettable accomplishments, then you are going to have to keep your eyes upon the LORD. When your focus in solely upon the LORD, you will find that it is not as hard to keep your perspectives right in life. A life that is solely focused upon the LORD will find the temptations and lures of the world will not influence them.

Third, he had an unwavering stand. Caleb said in verse 11, “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me…” Caleb was eighty-five years of age when he made this statement. He never changed what he believed throughout his entire life. If you want to live a life of unregrettable accomplishments, then you are going to have to determine what you believe, and never waver. The older you get the easier it will be to change, but you must be unwavering in what you believe, especially when your beliefs are based upon the Scriptures.

Fourth, he had a never dying drive. In verse 12, Caleb still had the desire to conquer a mountain. He never thought he arrived, but he always kept driving. Friend, don’t take the mentality that your past accomplishments give you an excuse to step back from doing more. You need to keep a never dying drive that will continue to urge you to do more for God until the day you die.

Are you living a life of unregrettable accomplishments? If these four things are not in your life, then you will have regrets when you get old. Daily ask God to help you keep these four things in your life. Being able to live life without regrets will not be easy, but it can be done if you will keep these four things in your daily life.

Joshua 7:4-5
“So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai. And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men: for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim, and smote them in the going down: wherefore the hearts of the people melted, and became as water.”

One of the best teachers in life are the mistakes of others. Certainly, we would not want others to make costly mistakes, but we should not waste the opportunity to learn from them. Much of the experience a young person gathers to start out their life will come from the experiences and mistakes of others.

Israel had crossed over the Jordan River. They had conquered the famed walls of Jericho and conquered that city. Their fame quickly spread throughout the land of Canaan. The next city they faced on the way to conquering the Promised Land was a small city named Ai. Instead of sending all the troops to conquer the city, they only sent a few and saw a great defeat. This defeat came because of some common mistakes many people make on a daily basis.

First, they went without prayer. You will notice as Joshua sent the troops to Ai, not one petition of prayer was sent up to God. Instead, they went under their own power and never worded one prayer. Christians on a daily basis start things without ever wording a prayer to God to ask for His help. They presumptuously think it is a small task that they know how to do; thus, they go without prayer. Let me kindly remind you that you always need God’s help. A word of prayer before you start anything is needed. Before you start your day, pray to God. Before you drive down the road, pray. Before you start your day at work or school, pray. No matter how big or small the task or project may be, never start without wording a prayer to God for His help.

Second, they went with a half-hearted effort. Instead of sending all the troops to fight Ai, they only sent a few. Friend, every thing you do should be done with all your effort. If something is not worth your whole effort, then it is not worth any effort. That means you should always do your best with everything. What you may see as unimportant could be the most important task. If you never take anything lightly in life, then everything will be a big task worthy of your whole effort.

Third, they went with a false self-confidence in their own power. They felt they could do it on their own because they knew how to do it. Herein is one of the greatest mistakes Christians make on a daily basis. They perform daily tasks without once asking God for His power upon their life. I’m not just talking about praying, but I’m talking about being empowered by the Holy Spirit to do every task. We have trained our flesh how to do right, so instead of asking God to empower us to do those tasks we do them under the power of our own flesh. You always need God’s power to do each task. Never become so confident in your own power that you don’t ask the Holy Spirit to empower you.

Do you find these common mistakes in your life? Friend, these common mistakes come with deadly consequences. If Joshua had known what these mistakes would have costed, he would not have allowed them. You have seen the results of these mistakes. Don’t make the same mistakes. If you will always approach everything you do in life as a big task or project, then you will never become so comfortable that you make these common mistakes.

Deuteronomy 31:7
“And Moses called unto Joshua, and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.”

Imagine trying to be the next president after George Washington. After all he did for America, it would be hard to fill his shoes. The comparisons of how he led could have easily been frustrating for the next president. Following a great person cannot be easy for anyone.

Joshua was just about ready to follow a man whom God used in a great way. There is no doubt that Joshua had fears of following Moses. Maybe that is why God constantly said, “Be strong and of a good courage…” Joshua was about to take the position that Moses had filled for over forty years. Joshua knew what God had done through Moses, and he fully understood he could not be a Moses. If anyone ever filled the position rightly after following someone great, it was Joshua.

Everyone will follow someone at some point in their life. You will follow your parents when you get your own family. A pastor will take over a church and will follow another man of God. CEO’s will take over a position that another person held. Following someone is not easy, but doing it in a right manner is important to what God will do through you. Let me give you several observations that will help when following someone.

First, realize you will never fill their shoes. God didn’t expect Joshua to be Moses, He expected Joshua to be Joshua. You cannot fill the shoes of someone before you. If you try to fill someone’s shoes, you will set yourself up for failure and discouragement. Realize that God doesn’t expect you to be anyone else other than yourself. You need to be who God wants you to be.

Second, don’t tear down the previous person to establish yourself. One of the greatest things about Joshua is that he did not try to minimize Moses. Many people try to belittle those before them so that they will be great in the eyes of their followers. Always realize that you are training someone else who will follow you. If you don’t want someone to belittle what you have done, then don’t belittle what others before you have done. Instead of belittling others, encourage people to admire them for what they have done.

Third, build upon your predecessors. Don’t try to change what your predecessors have done, but build upon it. Let your predecessors works be the foundation upon which you build. Don’t change what has been done so you can build a name for yourself.

Fourth, understand that God has great works for you to do. This is very important that you understand. Joshua did not know there would be a Jordan River or the walls of Jericho when he took over. He only knew that he was to bring Israel into the Promised Land. God has great works for you to do. Instead of trying to tear down those before you, do what God wants you to do and you will discover that God will work greatly through you.

Fifth, keep your focus upon God. Don’t try to build a name for yourself. Joshua fully understood that he was serving the LORD, and that kept him from becoming jealous of Moses. If you will realize that you are serving God, it won’t bother you to hear someone talk of a predecessor whom God has used greatly. When your focus is upon God, you will not make yourself the focus.

Friend, we all have a great work to do for God. Don’t tear down the works of the previous generations to make yourself look great. Yield yourself to the Holy Spirit and let Him work through you. Always keep in mind that it is never about you, but it will always be about God and pointing others to Him.

Proverbs 30:5
“Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

Your word is your character. There used to be a day in America when if a man said something it was good. If a man said he was going to do something and they shook hands, then that would be as good as a contract. Now, people sign contracts and then hire an attorney to get them out of the contract. A person’s word is no longer something upon which you can depend.

God is still a God of His Word. Though times have changed, God’s Word is still pure. God says in the verse above, “Every word of God is pure…” The word “pure” means without any falsehood. When God gave us His Word, He made sure that everything He said could be depended upon.

God goes further to show us the purity of His Word when He says, “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” (Psalm 12:6) God said, just like silver is put into the furnace to be purified, He also purified His Word seven times to be sure of It’s veracity.

Let me illustrate by using an authors writings, though this is a poor illustration to compare to God’s Word. When I write a book, I send it to my proofer, and she goes through it and checks it grammatically, for spelling errors and for readability. Every once in awhile she will show me something that may not seem to agree. What she is doing is purifying my words. She is checking them to make sure everything is correct.

God proofed or purified His Word by making sure everything He said is correct. He made sure there was no falsehood in It. He made sure there was not deception in His promises. He made sure there was no flattery in His way. He made sure that everything He said was absolutely true. God wanted His Word to be pure, and a Word upon which we can depend.

If God felt it was that important to have a pure Word, then you should be sure that what you say is correct. Be sure there is no falsehood in what you say before you say it. In other words, don’t say something that you know is not true. Be honest in all that you say.

Moreover, be measured in all that you say. In other words, don’t flippantly say something that you have not thought about. Too many times we say we are going to do something without thinking about it, then we go back on our word. When you can’t stand by your word, then your word means nothing. This is why you need to be slow to answer and be measured with what you say.

Furthermore, your words should be words that are not deceptive. In other words, don’t say something in code that you know can be taken one way, but you meant it another. Be clear with what you say. Don’t be a person whom people cannot trust because every word must be parsed. When you say something, mean it.

Your words should be as pure as God’s. You are Christ’s representative, and what you say will either validate God’s Word or put doubt upon it. Be sure what you say is true so as to not bring any mark upon the Word of God. Yes, God’s Word always stands pure, but the world will measure it by what you say. Be sure your words are always true.

Deuteronomy 7:19
“Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;”

Fear is an incredible emotion. Fear will cause the strongest to become weak. Fear will cause the staunchest to become unreliable. Fear will cause the best Christian to cower. Fear will cause you to do the opposite of what you would normally do.

Fear is one of the greatest liars. Fear is being afraid of something that has never happened. It tells you something is going to happen when in reality it has not happened and probably won’t happen. Fear is the one of the greatest weapons that Satan uses to keep God’s people from doing right.

God warned the children of Israel that they would face fear. He said, “Thou shalt not be afraid of them…” God was telling Israel that when they entered the Promised Land that they were not to be afraid of the countries that seemed bigger than they. He then gives a recipe on how to deal with fear that would be good to use when you face fear.

First, remember God. The thing God pointed them to was Himself. He knew that if they would remember Who they served, that it would help their fear to subside. When you face fear, remember Who you serve. You are not serving man, but God. You are serving a God Who is very present in your time of need.

Second, remember your relationship with God. He didn’t just say to remember God, but remember the “LORD thy God.” God added a relationship to the LORD God. If you are saved, then you are a child of God. You have no reason to fear for the LORD thy God will protect His children.

Third, remember the promises of God. God promised Israel that He would give the nations into their hand, and God has never gone back on one promise. Friend, the promises of God are true. Never doubt God’s promises. When fear comes, remember the promises of God and how faithful He is to fulfill those promises.

Fourth, remember the works of God. In verse 19, God reminded Israel of His great “signs.” These are the works God has done in the past. Whenever fear comes your way, always look back at the great works God has done and realize that He can do the same works for you today. You will quickly realize you have no reason to fear when you remember His works.

Fifth, remember the miracles of God. God went further with Israel and reminded them of His “wonders.” This was more personal than the works, for the wonders were the miracles He performed for them. Whenever you are faced with fear, go back and remember the miracles God has personally done for you. It’s good to get courage from the works God has done for others, but it is better to get strength from the miracles He has done for you.

Finally, remember the power of God. God finished with reminding Israel of His “mighty hand.” Never forget that you are serving the almighty God. You are serving the God Who has the power to overcome anything that comes your way.

Christian, you have no reason to fear. Fear is a negative emotion that hinders a positive work of God. Remember 2 Timothy 1:7 whenever fear comes your way, which says, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Deuteronomy 4:21
“Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance:”

It is very annoying and tiring to be around someone who can’t seem to let go of the blame of others. For whatever reason, they seem to be blinded by the fact that they have done something wrong. If these people are going to do something greater in life, then they must learn to let it go.

Moses seemed to hold bitterness in his heart about losing the ability to go into the Promised Land. Three times in the Book of Deuteronomy Moses said, “…the LORD was angry with me for your sakes…” It truly becomes tiring to hear Moses blame the people for his failure to obey God. As great of a man as he was, this is one glaring failure in his life that may have kept him from seeing God’s mercy that may have allowed him to go into the Promised Land. We will never know if God would have allowed him to go into the Promised Land had he accepted the blame of his failure, but I will say that God was merciful to many others in the Scriptures who had greater failures than Moses. Moses’ greatest mistake was that he never let the bitterness in his heart go. He let it fester, and it followed him to the grave.

There will be times in your life when others have contributed to your failures. These failures are always hard to accept when you know that if they were not around you probably would not have had the great failure. It is important in these times to learn to let it go so you can move on. Let me give you some thoughts on how to handle these situations in your life.

First, accept the responsibility of your part in the failure. One thing is very evident about Moses, he never accepted the responsibility of his part in his failure. Though others may have contributed to your failure, you are ultimately responsible for your own actions. Nobody makes you do wrong. When you won’t accept your part of the failure, you open your heart to bitterness. The only one you are hurting the most is yourself. Instead of blaming others for what they did to contribute to your failure, accept your role in the failure.

Second, place your energies on the positive and not on the negative. Moses’ energies became negative, and negative energies produce wasted results. Instead of focusing on the negative of others contribution to your failures, look at the potential God has given you to help others. Yes, you have failed, but your failure has given you the experience to train others to avoid the same failures. You will never be able to do this if you don’t let it go.

Third, focus your strength on training others to take your place. Moses was not going to live forever, and that is why he needed to focus on training Joshua. You are one day going to Heaven. Instead of being bitter about what you could not do, use that energy to train others who will fill your place when you are gone. There is another generation who follows you, and you will not be able to train them if you are blaming others for your failures.

It’s time to let your failures go and move on. Don’t waste the potential that you still have. Use the time you have left to invest in the lives of others and help them do what you could not do.

Numbers 27:21
“And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the LORD: at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.”

There is none better to define spiritual leadership than God Himself. In the verse above, God was telling Moses what he was to teach Joshua about leading the children of Israel. Moses knew that his days on this Earth were numbered. God had told Moses to go to the top of Mount Abarim, for it was there where God planned on taking him to Heaven. Because of this, Moses pleaded with God to give him more time to train the next man to lead Israel. God agreed, and appointed Joshua as the next leader.

After God agreed to have Moses train Joshua to lead Israel into the Promised Land, He then gave him the essentials of spiritual leadership. One thing is very evident; today’s definition of leadership is not God’s definition of leadership. God very plainly spells out spiritual leadership. Let me show you what spiritual leadership is.

First, spiritual leadership needs spiritual leadership. This may sound strange, but just because you are a leader doesn’t mean that you don’t need leadership to lead you. The verse above says, “And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest…” Just because you are a leader doesn’t mean that nobody can tell you what to do. Leaders still need leaders who will keep them in check. Leadership without other leaders to lead them will become tyrants. God chose for Joshua to submit himself to the leadership of the man of God, and that would be wise for every leader.

Second, spiritual leadership must be spiritual. It is hard to be a spiritual leader if you are not spiritual yourself. God said that Joshua was to get counsel “…after the judgment of Urim before the LORD…” The leader who doesn’t have a walk with God will fail to get the wisdom of God to handle every circumstance of the day. As a leader, you must have a daily time you walk with God in the Scriptures and prayer. Without a walk with God, you will fail to be a spiritual leader.

Third, spiritual leadership moves at God’s speed. It says in the verse above, “…at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in…” This was not talking about Joshua’s word, but God’s Word. The leader is not to move ahead of God. This is why it’s critical to have a walk with God. Without walking with God, you will not know God’s timing.

Fourth, spiritual leadership is a conduit. It says, “…at his word shall they go out…” The spiritual leader doesn’t do what they want to do, but they will do what God wants them to do. In other words, the spiritual leader is simply a conduit that tells those they lead what God told them to do. Just because you have position does not give you a right to do what you want to do. You still must submit yourself to the leadership of God and only do what God’s Word tells you to do.

Are you a spiritual leader? This world does not need leadership that is led by their own whim, conscience or the day’s culture. This world needs leadership that is spiritual. If the homes, churches, businesses and nations were led by spiritual leadership, then these would have spiritual and lasting results. In whatever area you lead, be a spiritual leader.

Number 14:24
“But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”

There are people in life who make a difference in their world, and one of the reasons they make a difference is because of their spirit. Their spirit is not like the average that is controlled by outside circumstances, but they have another spirit that is vibrant and inspiring to those whom they are around. You can’t miss these people. When they walk in the room there is something different about them. Their spirit causes the spirit of the room to lighten up. Their spirit brightens the day of those whom they encounter. This world is in need of people with another spirit.

Caleb was one of those who had another spirit. It says that the difference between Caleb and the ten spies who brought back an evil report of the Promised Land is that he had another spirit. They had a defeatist spirit. They had a negative spirit. They had a spirit of discouragement. Caleb was not like them. He had another spirit that truly changed his world and those around him. Let me show you four things about Caleb that gave him another spirit.

First, he had a spirit of complete obedience. It says in the verse above, “…and hath followed me fully…” When Moses sent the spies into the land, they were to bring back a good report to the people. The ten spies brought back an evil report, but Caleb fully obeyed God and told the people what God wanted them to hear. Those who have a spirit of obedience truly change their surroundings. Their spirit is not divisive or rebellious which brings a tense spirit, but they have an obedient spirit that helps to unify those around them.

Second, Caleb had a spirit with a positive outlook. It’s amazing how Caleb saw the same things that the ten spies who brought back an evil report saw; instead, he saw the good of the land. He saw the good because he had a positive spirit. If you are going to have a positive spirit, then you are going to have to train yourself to see the positive. Those with a negative spirit can certainly grieve the spirit of many. People love being around someone who sees the positive. If you want to change your surroundings, then you need to have a positive spirit.

Third, Caleb had a spirit that would not quit. When you study his life, you will see that when he was an older man he still had a desire to conquer a mountain. One of the things that inspires people is seeing people who won’t quit in spite of difficulties and adverse circumstance. When a person who won’t quit has a positive spirit, it is contagious and inspiring to others. You will never motivate others to do right if you quit. You have to keep on going when others quit.

Fourth, Caleb had a spirit with a great vision. He looked at a mountain he wanted and said, “…give me this mountain.” (Joshua 14:12) What a vision! If you truly want to change your world around you, then you are going to have to have a spirit that has a great vision. People who have a great vision and pursue it always encourage others around them to do more.

Friend, do you have another spirit, or do you have a spirit like everyone else? The only thing that is going to change your world is for you to get another spirit. You will see a difference in your world if you will emulate these four things that caused Caleb to have another spirit. When these four things are in your life, you will see people around you will be inspired and encouraged to do great things for God.

Numbers 9:17
“And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed: and in the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.”

We hear much about everything being in the cloud. Technology is now storing data in the cloud. Whenever you turn your phone on and update something, it is updated on your computer through the cloud. Cloud computing is certainly the technology of the day.

It is amazing that this is not the first time that people depended upon the cloud. Though the cloud I am talking about is much different than computing. It says in the verse above that Israel was to move whenever the cloud moved. God used a cloud to guide the children of Israel through the wilderness. Whenever the cloud stopped, they were to halt their movement, but whenever the cloud lifted they knew that God was moving them. They literally followed the cloud.

It would be good if Christians developed a cloud Christianity. The verse above shows several things that would help Christians to have a cloud Christianity. Let me show you the things God wants us to do to develop a cloud Christianity.

First, God wants us to keep our eyes on the cloud, which is God. God didn’t want Israel to follow Moses, but He wanted them to follow Him. He didn’t want them to follow their own feeling, but He wanted them to follow Him. He didn’t want them to follow an institution, but He wanted them to follow Him. He didn’t want them to follow a great personality from the past, but He wanted them to keep their eyes on Him.

You will never develop a cloud Christianity by following anyone or anything else other than God. Your belief system needs to come from God. Your standards by which you live need to come from God. Your loyalties need to be to God. Keeping your eyes on God will help you in determining God’s will for your life and will keep you from becoming disenchanted with the Christian life.

Second, there were times when they needed to wait on God. There were many days the cloud did not move, and at those times they were to stay. There are times in your life when you need to wait on the LORD. Stop running ahead of God and be patient with Him. Don’t expect God to move at your timing, but understand that He works on His time schedule. Waiting on God certainly tries your patience, but running ahead of God will always bring regrets. Be patient when God is telling you to wait.

Third, you must move when God wants you to move. It is interesting that there was a time when men moved Israel to follow them without God’s guidance and that led to their death. You must realize that you are to follow God’s will for your life and not man’s. Only two people know God’s personal will for your life; that is God and you. Yes, everyone knows God’s revealed will which is found in the Word of God, but knowing God’s personal will is only found by following God. If God wants you to move, then you had better listen to God. Don’t follow man’s guiding in your life, but follow the revealed will of God, the Scriptures, and His personal will when He personally tells you to do something for Him.

Cloud Christianity always lead you to the Promised Land of your life. Cloud Christianity gives you the greatest joy and peace in life because you are following the One Who controls the cloud. Decide today to be a Cloud Christian.