I am encouraged by the faith of Caleb as he led the people toward the Promised Land.

I am now reading the Old Testament devotionally and have come to the stories of Caleb. He was one of the 12 men sent to scout the Promised Land. Caleb displayed great faith when he reported back that Jehovah is with us. It will be easy to take the land (Jos 14:7), so don’t be afraid.

Let us step into the new year courageously and trust that God is always our help. While we are doing that, we remain resolved to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly.

Later at the ripe old age of 85, he offered to fight the Anakites (Jos 14:12). Caleb has an indomitable spirit in him. And there is so much we can learn from him. For one thing, he followed the Lord wholeheartedly (Jos 14:8).

There is nothing half-hearted about him. A literal translation of the verse is “I remained loyal to Yahweh”. Caleb remained loyal to the Lord because he knew God has promised His people the possession of the land He had promised to Abraham and his descendants, and he was not going to be intimidated by the inhabitants of those lands. Unlike the others, he was not fearful in the face of challenges.

The writer of Numbers confirmed this description. He says that God rewarded Caleb because he has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly (Numbers 14:24). Here is a man who exemplified what it means to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (Matthew 22:37)

Today is the first day of a brand-new year. I tend to go into a new year with mixed feelings. On one hand, I am delighted to have a new beginning. Yet, on the other hand, I am a bit anxious about what is to come next year. Indeed, I am encouraged by the faith of Caleb as he led the people toward the Promised Land.

Let us step into the new year courageously and trust that God is always our help. While we are doing that, we remain resolved to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly.