Jan 25 I would but I can't

January 25

   Give Me This Mountain

Jos 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain

Why do men want to climb a mountain?  Other than a great view there isn’t much at the summit. George Mallory failed to climb Mt Everest twice. During a fund raiser for his 3^rd attempt he was asked why he wanted to climb Everest, to which he responded “Because it’s there!”  He died during his third try at Everest in 1924. His frozen body was discovered in 1999, a thousand feet from the top.

But Caleb had a different reason for wanting the 3000 foot high land around Hebron.  When the Israelites left Egypt they came to the land that God had given them and before attacking the inhabitants spies were sent to check it out. 

Nu 13:17 And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain:

If you are not familiar with this story turn to Numbers chapter 13 and read it. Here we find twelve spies sent out to search out the land. When they returned 10 strongly advised against going against the strong people they had seen. Only Joshua and Caleb were in favor of taking the land.  God rewarded their faithfulness by allowing them to live through the wilderness wanderings and arrive in Canaan.  You are probably familiar with this Biblical event.  Then it came time to divide the land and Caleb said he wanted Hebron. 

Jos 14:12 Now therefore give me this mountain

Why would he have wanted the same mountain that 45 years earlier the ten spies said was filled with giants and walled cities and was unconquerable?  There were many reasons why he should not have wanted that mountain.  He was 85 years old and too old. The Anikim were giant people. The cities were walled. God’s command to take the land was 45 years ago and things had changed. Nearly everyone agreed that the Anakim were too strong to defeat.  They also were on top of hills over 3000 feet high. Fighting uphill was even harder. Any one of those difficulties would have stopped the average person.

But Caleb was not your average person. He believed God, obeyed God and trusted God.  In the 14^th chapter of Numbers we find a conversation between Moses and the LORD. Here is what God thought of Caleb.

Nu 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.

That is exactly what happened. Caleb knew God would fight for him, went up that mountain, defeated the Anakim and possessed the land.  

Notice some things about Caleb in the verse above.   He was a servant of God. He had a special spirit within. Caleb followed God fully. God enabled and prospered Caleb.

Most of us would like to have that kind of spirit that would say “Give me this mountain”.  But we can’t do that. Not really. When God presents a great opportunity, or a major challenge too often it is just not possible for us to respond like Caleb.

We would have done that when we were young, but we are just too old now. (Or too young).   

The task is just too big for us. There are giant obstacles that will prevent us from succeeding.

We doubt doors will be opened to us. You can’t build bridges where there is nothing but walls.
Yes, God’s Word has lots of instructions, but some of them are pretty old fashioned.  Things are different now. What God wants would make me, well, peculiar. Go along to get along!
And let’s face it, the thing God wants done would be a long uphill battle. I’ll pray He finds someone to do it.  I would love to do it if I could, but I can’t. 

Gentle reader, are you a servant of God?  Do you have a special spirit within you? Do you fully follow God?  If so then when God lays a task or project on your heart, do not make excuses like the children of Israel who died in the wilderness.  Instead may God help us to be like Caleb, faithful, trusting, obedient Christians who will respond,

“Yes God, give me that mountain!”