Joshua 14:10 - “And now, behold, the Lord has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the Lord spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old.”
Have you ever met someone named Caleb? Caleb was a disgraceful Hebrew name until this man emerged as one of the most heroic men in the history of the faith. Caleb means dog or prostitute, so it stands to reason that he was named such because of a tough background. He overcame his background and excelled. God gave him long life when all his contemporaries died in the wilderness save Joshua. Caleb was a man of vision, valor, and faith. He could see the land as God’s promise and God as the promise keeper.
My birthday is in 2 days and I will be 53. I hope that I live to be 85, if the Lord wills, with the type of faith that Caleb had. Caleb had faith early in his life that endured through the long journey from a slave in Egypt to a soldier/general leading the army into Canaan to a conquering victor claiming territory in the promised land.
God has empowered you to do His work. Caleb knew that victory in life required his effort. God had deeded the land to the people, but the people had to go claim it. Grace involves our effort just not our earning it. For us, God has decided to give us great victory over sin, over Satan, over the daily struggles and obstacles of life, and over all enemies. Now, go claim it. God has kept you alive for this day. Take the mountain. Charge the hill. Win the day. To God be the glory!