Go Up

"Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, "We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it""- Numbers 13:30 (NIV).

Doubting God results in missed opportunities and consequences. Caleb and Joshua were the only two saying God would give them victory over the inhabitants of the promised land, while the others who had spied out the land with them spouted their fears they would falter and fall if they went up against such strong opponents. After all, these were fortified cities and the land was full of giants. God sent them back into the desert, on a 40-year wilderness trek, punishment for not trusting Him. Once the 40-years of desert punishment ended, the Israelites were once again standing on the edge of the promised land. Moses told them they were to go into the land courageously and in God's strength. "Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Deuteronomy 31:6). Guess who the only two original people were who crossed over into the promised land? Caleb and Joshua. Fear and doubt can be crippling. Thankfully God is a God of second chances. And thirds, fourths, fifths...he will never leave you, nor forsake you. Go up...you can certainly do it.