Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said. 

Joshua 14:12

Introduction: Beloved, you’re never too old or ever so disadvantaged that you cannot yet win and enjoy the sweet promises of God.

Caleb the son of Jephunneh was numbered among the twelve leaders of Israel that Moses sent out to spy the land of Canaan. While ten others brought evil reports on the land, Caleb and Joshua the son of Nun brought good reports (Numbers 13:27-33). And God became so pleased with the two that He preserved them for very spectacular honours. Joshua received the singular honor of leading Israel to the Promised Land, and Caleb was expressly assured of a distinguished portion of inheritance in the land (Numbers 14:22-25).

Forty five year later, Caleb made a bold claim on the promise of God; his request was granted and he possessed his possession in spite of his old age. But please note that the adversaries needed to be subdued first. When he asked for the mountain, he knew that the giant sons of the Anakims still inhabited the place. See, any claim to the promises of God is an acceptance of a responsibility to “work out your salvation with fear ....” (Phil. 2:12).

O yes, we were created to do exploits in the spirit realm, but there can be no spiritual exploit without a spiritual fight. You must subdue the enemies - sin, fear, doubt, Satan, etc, - occupying your land and kill the lions before you can enjoy the flow of the milk and honey. The following are some qualities and virtues required to assist you in claiming the promises of God.

Firstly, you must accept, believe and claim God’s promises. Caleb accepted the promise God made to him, and he believed that God will perform it. He stepped forward to actualize the promise, not allowing his age or any such things to deter him. He seemed to know that whatever God promises, He will do because He cannot break His Covenant (Exodus 2:23-25).

Secondly, you must wholly follow the Lord. It is a very clear position of the Divine Covenant that whosoever wholly follows the Lord shall also truly enjoy the heritage of His promises (Deuteronomy 16:20). Caleb qualified himself to claim his mountain because he fully followed God. He had a spirit different from that of the frightened ten, and was so much devoted to the Lord to the extent that God Himself vouched for him. 

Jesus Christ is still looking for full-time followers, but we must note that giving ourselves to God often comes with a price. But, nothing can compare with the gains we make when we continue on with Christ: “Whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matt. 16:25).

Thirdly, you must be courageous. The accounts of many scriptural heroes, like David and Esther, are accounts of exploits of courage. You too must be courageous to inherit the promises of success and good life. Indeed, the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams and charge forward with it through courage (Deuteronomy 31:6).

 What you are presently is a likely determinant of who you will become in the future, unless you cooperate with God to effect needed changes in your life. Your fears are not walls, but hurdles. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it. And, long after passing on to the eternal beyond, we will be remembered, not necessarily for our inborn talents, but for the amount of courage we used. 

Finally, you must fight to possess your possessions. Yes, to try is to risk failure. But risk must be taken because the greatest hazard of life is to risk nothing. The person who risks nothing does nothing, has nothing and will become nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow for a while, but he simply cannot learn, feel, change, grow, and truly live.

Caleb fought for victory and possessed his possession, not allowing himself to be intimidated by the sizes of the enemies. Mountains must become meat for us, and obstacles must become miracles. But, we too must keep our feet firm in faith, and our hands dexterous with godly virtues and go forth to possess our possessions. 

The believers today are fighting, not just for victory but from the position of victory, which Jesus Christ has earned for us. Whatever God has promised you is yours. But, you must take necessary steps of faith to validate them, no matter the pranks of the enemies (1Samuel 30:8-9,18-19). And, for immediate action, starve your fear, feed your courage, and embrace your adventure in faith! You will forever be glad you did.

Friend, the grace of God that keeps you alive till now, even at this difficult time of CoVid-19 pandemic, will keep you all the way through and equally make you inheritor of other covenant promises of God, in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

• Bishop Taiwo Akinola,

Rhema Christian Church,

Otta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

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