A Different Spirit
When God delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, all were saved. The people received the wealth of their Egyptian neighbors and no one was left behind. All passed through the Red Sea. There were no sick among them. They were supernaturally provided for by God on a daily basis. Their clothes and shoes never wore out. A pillar of fire provided warmth at night and a cloud provided cool for the day. The whole nation was blessed by God, and yet one man was noted as having a different spirit than the rest of them. This man was Caleb.
In studying the story of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, we can say that all had the same beginning, but not all had the same end. Not everyone who left Egypt entered into the Promise Land. Only two, of that generation, crossed the Jordan River; Joshua and Caleb. It was because they had a different spirit that qualified them to receive what was promised. It is more important how we end than how we begin. Who we are is God’s gift to us. How we end is our gift to God.
Having a different spirit is to be fearless. When one gets scared they become logical and it was logic that paralyzed the Israelites when they heard of the giants in the Promise Land and the size of their fortified cities. Fear causes one to forget all that God did in the past. Fear makes everything difficult, but having a different spirit makes the greatest challenges easy. Caleb stood his ground against the negative reasoning of the people. Being fearless is declaring: “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Having a different spirit is being loyal. Even though Caleb and Joshua were alone in their faith, they remained loyal to their leader, to their convictions and to their God. During the 40 years of enduring the desert, I am sure they may not have felt like being loyal, but they were loyal all the same. It is because you endure the bad, that you can enjoy the good.
Having a different spirit is ready obedience. It is saying as Caleb did: “Let’s go up at once,” (Num. 13.30). Fear delays obedience. Religion wants more preparation; just one more seminar. Faith says: “Now.” Obedience is more that belief. It is acting on what we believe. Most Christians believe in making disciples, but few do it. Most all believe in winning the lost, but few do it. We need to stop checking the direction of the wind and just obey. Obedience is faith in action.
There is a spirit that is working in this world that is an enemy to the Spirit of God within us. This spirit is deceptive in that it is cloaked in all kinds of good works and religion. This spirit is always learning, but never coming into the knowledge of the truth. As Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years and never entered into their promises, so are those who “go with the flow” of this world. They believe, but never do, see, but never possess. It is time to have a different spirit and enter into all God has for us.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Numbers 14.24; Ephesians 2.2; II Cor. 11.2-4; Romans 8.31; II Tim. 1.7