A Different Spirit

As you probably know if you've read my mother-in-law's blog (http://sonshineshaven.blogspot.com/), life has been rather busy in the last week. I'm still recuperating from our trip to Florida for her step-dad's funeral service. I appreciate those who have been checking in and since I haven't had time to write anything in the last week, I wanted to post something I wrote on June 21, 2005. At that time my husband and I were planning our first child. Drew was conceived that December, and this verse has remained my "life verse" for Drew. I pray this verse over him frequently, and I encourage you if you have a child to pick out a verse that is special to you to pray it over your child, young or old, as well.

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

Picture a lecture from a very angry father. His children had collectively shamed the family name. They turned their back on him and grumbled against him. 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 and complaining. Not only that, they were sinning against God. And only because Moses petitioned God, did He not destroy them completely. If you read this chapter, you're sense the anger in the lecture.

Then comes verse 24. Calmness. Pride.

God didn't forget Caleb. He remembered his faithfulness. 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 spiritual Promised Land for New Testament believers. This is 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 not blessed me with children yet, but I want my children 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!