A Prayer for Faith Like Caleb to Climb Your New Mountain
By Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading
“But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” – Numbers 14:24
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What new challenge are you facing right now? That challenge can seem as overwhelming as a mountain. Maybe that mountain is a broken relationship, a challenging health issue, or a stressful work situation. When you look at the overwhelming size of it, you may feel afraid and worried about how you’re going to be able to climb the mountain you’re facing.
That’s how the people of Israel felt when they first stood at the edge of the Promised Land. God had brought them out of slavery and even performed a miracle for them by parting the Red Sea so they could cross over quickly. But when they sent spies to look at the land, most of them came back afraid and worried that they couldn’t really trust God’s promises to help them overcome their challenges.
But Caleb was different. Along with his fellow spy Joshua, Caleb looked at the same Promised Land that the other spies did, but he saw it through the eyes of faith. He didn’t deny that there were tremendous obstacles to overcome. Instead, Caleb chose to believe that God was much bigger than the mountain of a challenge they faced. Because Caleb trusted God completely, God promised that Caleb would eventually enter the Promised Land and claim it.
God is calling you to approach your own obstacles with that same “different spirit” that Caleb had. You can do so by choosing not to worry and to trust God instead. In this fallen world, you’ll always have some kind of challenges to deal with – but you’ll also always have access to help from God to overcome those challenges. Caleb followed God wholeheartedly. He didn’t give God half of his trust while keeping the other half in his own strength. Caleb went all in!
When you face a new mountain, you can follow God wholeheartedly by stopping focusing on the size of your challenge and start focusing on God’s unlimited power. Remember how God has answered your prayers by helping you in the past. The same God who met all your needs when you faced big challenges before is the God who will climb this new mountain of a challenge with you.
You have to take action to climb a mountain. You need to take the first steps even when you’re afraid. But you can overcome fear by just moving forward with faith. You don’t need to know how you will reach the summit of the mountain; you only need to trust the Guide who is personally leading you right now.
God gave Caleb this powerful promise: “I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.”
Your obedience and faith are not just about you. When you choose to trust God in the face of giant obstacles, you leave a legacy for the people watching you. Your children, friends, and everyone who knows you are inspired when they see your confidence in God. That builds their faith. By climbing your mountain with a spirit of wholehearted following of God, you help pave a path for others to climb their own mountains.
So, don’t let fear rob you of the inheritance God has prepared for you. The mountain you face looks intimidating, but it’s also the same place where you’ll experience God’s presence and provision in completely new ways.
Let’s Pray
Dear God, I’m facing a challenge right now that makes me feel like I’m standing at the base of a mountain. I confess that it looks incredibly big to me. The path ahead seems steep and dangerous. I’m afraid and overwhelmed when I think about what it will take to climb this mountain and overcome this challenge. But I don’t want to live with a spirit of fear or doubt. I want to have a different spirit, just like your servant Caleb did. So God, I choose to follow you wholeheartedly. Please fight anxiety for me and guide me up this mountain with faith. I trust your promises. Remind me of your past faithfulness whenever I start to give in to fear or doubt. You are the Creator of the mountains, and nothing I face is too hard for you to help me overcome. Please give me the courage to look past the mountain of my challenge and focus on your unlimited strength. I believe that you are walking with me through every single step of this climb. Please use this challenging season to help me grow closer to you, and let my faith inspire the people around me. I’ll move forward with confidence that you’ll help me climb this mountain successfully. Thank you, God. Amen.
Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.
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