A Different Spirit

Focal Verse: "But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it." Numbers 14:24

An angry father is lecturing his wayward children. They had collectively shamed the family name. They turned their back on him and grumbled against him. It didn't seem to matter to them that He always took care of them and loved them. They rebelled and followed their own desires with no consideration. He is fed up with them and is letting them know it.

In this chapter of Numbers, Israel is getting a lecture. God is in the midst of telling Moses that his generation of Israel would not see the Promised Land. God was not happy with his people. He had performed miracles to rescue them from their bondage and slavery in Egypt, and here they were grumbling, complaining, and sinning. And only because Moses petitioned God, did God not destroy them completely. If you read this chapter, you're sense the anger in the lecture.

Then comes verse 24.

Calmness. Pride. There was one faithful child in the bunch, and he was not forgotten. God remembered Caleb's faithfulness in the midst of a whole generation of rebellion. God didn't overlook him with the rest of his "brothers." In fact, while the rest of his generation would not see the Promised Land, God made an exception with Caleb.

Oh, that God would look at me that way! That I may be of a "different spirit" and please God the way Caleb pleased God! My desire is that I will please God where he can say, "Because my servant Jill has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring her into [her Promised Land], and her descendants will inherit it."

I believe God has a Promised Land for New Testament believers. A place where we are at peace, serving God, loving God, and walking with God. I believe it's God's desire that we live in that Promised Land, just as he desired for Israel to live in their Promised Land.

Don't overlook the end of the verse. God has blessed me with a wonderful son who is now just starting to talk, and I want him to know God above all else. And the promise of this verse is that if God sees my spirit is a spirit of serving him, my descendants will be able to enter into their own Promised Land with God as well!

Oh, that I may have a different spirit!