It’s a little after 6 a.m. when my eyes open to my blaring alarm. As I lay there gathering my thoughts, I can already feel the weight of tiredness and the familiar ache of physical pain in my body. I try to convince myself I’m not as exhausted and pained as I feel, but my optimism is no match for reality. This only magnifies my need for Jesus to get me through another day, so I pray to the Lord for strength, peel myself from my bed, and begin tackling the day’s tasks.
Maybe you’ve been there too. Perhaps you’ve awakened to feelings of overwhelming defeat before the day even starts. Whether it is the strain of a distant marriage, the disappointment of infertility, the grief of a prodigal child, the longing for a different life, or even the pressure to manage a relatively ideal (but still tough) life, I get it. I’m aware of the temptation to lose heart when things are hard.
While I’d love to tell you I’m going to share some earth-shattering news that will instantly fix all the broken or challenging things in your life, that’s not the case. What I’m about to share is probably something you’ve heard before: God is faithful.
When life feels like far too much to bear, I have been held up and revived by the eternal truth that God is faithful. The Bible is full of examples of God’s faithfulness. Page after page, we witness it—from Genesis to Revelation. But recently, as I’ve been studying Numbers and Joshua, I keep coming back to Caleb’s story.
Caleb’s life serves as a powerful testament to God’s faithfulness, reminding us that when we trust in Him, walk in obedience, and patiently persevere through life’s challenges, we are upheld by the unwavering truth that God is faithful to keep His promises to us—that we do not need to lose heart when life is hard.
Trusting God’s Promises
We are first introduced to Caleb in Numbers 13, where he is chosen as one of twelve spies to explore the land of Canaan. Israel had traveled from Egypt and finally reached the brink of inhabiting the land that God had promised to them. But despite all they had endured and overcome by the hand of God, many were gripped by fear and viewed conquering the land of Canaan as an inevitable suicide mission. After spending forty days exploring Canaan, some of the Israelite spies returned to the camp with fearful reports; however, Caleb (and Joshua) stood out by boldly expressing confidence that the Lord would give Israel victory over Canaan (Numbers 13:30).
Caleb’s act of faith illustrates his trust in God’s ability to keep His promises, specifically the promise that the land of Canaan would belong to the Israelites (Gen. 17:8; Ex. 6:8). From the outset, Caleb’s confidence was never in his own abilities or Israel’s strength but in God. God was the object of Caleb’s faith and he believed not in the power of man but in the greatness of God to overcome any obstacle.
Several factors likely influenced Caleb’s confidence in the Lord. First, he knew and believed God’s promise to give Israel the land. Second, he had witnessed God’s miraculous works in delivering Israel from Egypt and sustaining them in the wilderness. Finally, Caleb was fully convinced in God’s power to fulfill His word. For Caleb, God’s past faithfulness reinforced his trust in God’s future provision.
Friend, let me remind you (as I often remind myself) that we can trust God in the same way as Caleb did by remembering the promises outlined in Scripture. Through His Word, God promises to never leave or forsake us (Deut. 31:6), that He is always with us (Matt. 28:20), and that He provides a way of escape in every temptation (1 Cor. 10:13). When life feels overwhelming, we can recount God’s faithfulness to us in the past, and that will strengthen our trust in His ability to provide, protect, and guide in our time of need.
When we ground ourselves in the unchanging character of God—His omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, love, goodness, and justice—we can trust Him even when our circumstances seem impossible. Like Caleb, we are called to place our faith not in our strength but in the greatness of God.
Walking in Obedience
Obedience is not typically the first word that comes to mind when we think of what it means to be revived by God. We often view obedience as daunting and as a barrier to our joy. As Christian women, we want to do what God instructs us to do because that’s what we should do, right? But if we’re honest, we aren’t always enthusiastic or joyful about our obedience.
Sometimes our hearts are divided between what we know is good, right, and true and what feels good, common, or safe to us. Yet Numbers 14:24 describes Caleb as one who had a “different spirit” and “remained loyal” to God. The NIV describes him as following God “wholeheartedly.”
This description of Caleb shows us that faithful obedience is not just about doing the right thing outwardly; instead, it’s about following God with an undivided heart—one that is aligned with God’s will and desires and truly delights in carrying them out through faithful obedience. Caleb’s obedience came from a place of deep trust in God and what He promised.
Yes, Caleb’s actions were dutiful, but more than that, Caleb was devoted to God. This kind of wholehearted obedience comes from a heart that has been truly revived by God, is in sync with His ways, and is fully surrendered to His plans. When our hearts are divided or reluctant, it’s not a prompt to “do more” or “try harder” but a prime opportunity to go before the Lord and ask Him for revival.
If you truly want to thrive in joyful obedience, submit your heart before God first. Ask Him to give you a “different spirit” like Caleb’s, one that is willing and eager to follow God wholeheartedly. As we seek God in this way, our obedience will no longer feel like a burden or mere obligation but an expression of love that flows from a heart that has genuinely experienced God and His faithfulness.
Persevering Patiently
While it’s easy to glamorize Caleb’s actions, Scripture shows us that his actions were not a one-time moment of courage or obedience. Unfortunately, the Israelites’ disobedience did not come without God’s judgment. Because the people complained against God and refused to take the land promised to them, they were condemned to wander in the wilderness for forty years, and God swore that all the Israelites would die there, with the exception of Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14:26–30).
Although Caleb and Joshua trusted God and were obedient to Him, they had to endure the consequences of Israel’s rebellion for forty-five years. Imagine being in Caleb’s position—watching generation after generation pass away while waiting to see God’s promise fulfilled. The temptation to grow weary, angry, or even distracted was probably heavy and hard. But Caleb never wavered. He continued to trust God. He continued to walk in obedience.
Joshua 14:10–12 says,
“As you see, the LORD has kept me alive these forty-five years as he promised, since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel was journeying in the wilderness. Here I am today, eighty-five years old. I am still as strong today as I was the day Moses sent me out. My strength for battle and for daily tasks is now as it was then. Now give me this hill country the LORD promised me on that day, because you heard then that the Anakim are there, as well as large fortified cities. Perhaps the LORD will be with me and I will drive them out as the LORD promised.”
This is what patient perseverance looks like. This is what it looks like to walk with the Lord and trust His perfect timing. Even in his old age, Caleb still trusted that God would sustain him just like God had sustained him for so many years in the past.
When you are in a season of waiting—for a restored marriage, a healed body, a precious baby, the return of a prodigal, or whatever it may be—keep patiently walking with the Lord. Keep seeking God in prayer. Remain grounded in the truth of His Word. Recount His faithfulness to you in times past. Persevere with a heart that is expectant and rests in the faithfulness of God. He will not fail you.
Friend, I cannot promise you that everything will be “fixed” on this side of heaven. But I can promise you that God has prepared a place for us where the revival of our hearts will never wane, where every tear will be wiped away, and where His promises will be fulfilled in ways far beyond what we can imagine or think. Until then, keep trusting, keep walking in obedience, and keep persevering. God is faithful.
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