CALEB

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

I have been following a reading plan that will allow me to finish the Bible in one year. As I made my way through my daily assignment a couple of days ago, I came across this verse:

"Then Caleb quieted the people in Moses's presence and said, 'Let's go up now and take possession of the land because we can certainly conquer it!'" (Numbers 13:30)

The story of Caleb has always stood out to me, mainly because my name comes from it. When others were afraid, when doubt and fear filled the camp, Caleb spoke with courage and conviction. 

He saw the same challenges as everyone else, yet he chose to trust in God's promise rather than give in to fear. He was not just a man of faith; he was a man of action.

I want to be like that.

I want to be the one who quietly but firmly speaks the truth in the face of fear, who stands up when others hesitate, and who refuses to accept injustice simply because that is the way things are.

Too often, people believe the world cannot change and that oppression, inequality, and division are just part of life. But following Christ means something more. It means trusting that love can overcome hate, that justice can roll like a river, and that grace is wide enough to hold us all.

Being like Caleb means walking into places where others say that it is too hard, yet knowing that God is with us and that we can do this. 

It means standing with the poor, the marginalized, the unheard. It means refusing to let fear dictate who deserves love and dignity.

The world is filled with voices that say we should stay where we are, not challenge the status quo, and not push too hard. But Caleb, in the Bible, did not shrink back.

He believed in a God of abundance, not scarcity, a God who does not tell us to play it safe but calls us to walk boldly toward justice, grace, and love.

That is the kind of faith I want to live out: one that does not just pray for change but steps into the fight. One that does not just speak of love but practices it, even when it is hard. One that does not just admire grace but extends it, especially to those the world ignores.

I want to be like Caleb. And I want to invite others to come and see, to believe that God's promises are real, that justice is possible, and that love is stronger than fear.

Let us go up now because we can do this.

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