Conquering the City of Giants

“Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite untilo this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully. Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim.”
Joshua 14:14-15


Observation:
The city of Arba was a city of giants. It wan named after the greatest o all the giants and it was set on the land Caleb wanted as inheritance—Hebron. This is the place was of great importance because it was where Abraham first settled in Canaan. Caleb desired this land from when he was young spy under the direction of Moses. Perhaps he wanted what his forefathers before him experienced there, friendship with God and intimacy with him. He heard the stories of Abraham’s friendship with God while in Hebron and when he had the chance to spy the land, his first choice was to go to Hebron. He found the city of the giants in its place, but such findings never affected his desire for that portion of the land. He found that the land was rich in milk and honey, and that if God was with him, he was going to be able to conquer that city and destroy all the giants.
God rewarded Caleb’s good attitude and obedience by promising him not only to see the land but also to possess the portion of his dreams. He waited 45 years in order to receive the fulfillment of that promise. Joshua remembers what God promised to Caleb through Moses and gives him Hebron. Caleb is now 85 years but his heart is still young. He fills confident that at his age if God is with him he can take over the city of giants.


Application:
Caleb is definitely one of my heroes in the Old Testament. His courage and passion are contagious, but more than anything, I love the way he is driven by the inner dreams of his heart. He conquers the most impossible situations because he truly believes that God fights on his side. He is confident that God looks intimate relationship with his people and he is willing to do whatever it takes in order to get to that place of friendship. Neither giants, nor a city of giants can stop him from getting what he wants. He is even willing to wait for a long, long time.
One of our biggest problems as a church is not lack of vision, dreams, and ideas. We have plenty of passionate visionaries that can see the potential of their lives and the wonderful ways God can use them. The biggest problem is lack of everything in between the desire and its fulfillment. Very often our dream is rich but our attitude is poor, our visions are big but our faith is puny, and our passion is intense but runs out quickly. We lack the patience to endure, the hope to persist, the hard work to conquer, the self-control to be focused, the wisdom to advance, and the responsibility to avoid lame excuses. No wonder we cannot conquer much.
If I want to be a person that conquers not only giants but their cities also, I need to develop in my heart the virtues of the character of Caleb. He was undoubtedly confident that God was on his side because he made his very best to walk in the side of the Lord. He was willing to endure any kind of hard work without complaining, even if it took long periods of time. I wish we can trade the many dreams and visions we have for more action. Caleb knew that dreams are not build overnight. We paid the price and at the end, he was the recipient of the reward. He conquered the city of giants for the glory of God.


PRAYER: Dear Jesus, please forgive me for the many times I quit pursuing the biggest blessings for my life because is too hard or because takes too much time. Please give me the heart of Caleb that is passionate yet determined to finish. I would rather have few dreams that I will conquer that have many visions that will never become reality. Please lead me in your ways always and keep my closer to your embrace. Your friendship is better than life. I don’t want to be known as a visionary but as your friend. Give me Hebron, even if I have to drive the meanest giants out of my way. I love you Lord. AMEN!