I Am Not Ready For The Junk Yard

 Today’s Bible readings are Joshua 13:1-14:15, Luke 18:1-17, Psalm 85:1-13, & Proverbs 13:7-8

Joshua 14:10-12

¹⁰ “Now, as you can see, the Lord has kept me alive and well as he promised for all these forty-five years since Moses made this promise—even while Israel wandered in the wilderness. Today I am eighty-five years old. ¹¹ I am as strong now as I was when Moses sent me on that journey, and I can still travel and fight as well as I could then. ¹² So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said.”

I love the heart of Caleb. We see that even in his older days he was still a man of faith & passion. It was he & Joshua who said they could take this land 45 years prior. When the other spies said it couldn’t be done they both stood & said it is possible. They said we should go now for the Lord is with us.

He was filled with faith in his early days & he is just as full of faith in his later days. I have often wondered why he was still in such great health. Why is it that he was still ready to take the land for the Lord? We know that God kept him strong this whole time, but Caleb did something to. He operated in faith.

I have a friend at church who is in his 80’s. He is old enough that some people would think it is time for him to slow down; not him though. He is going strong now like he was when he was 50. If fact, I don’t even think that he realizes he is in his 80’s. He has the attitude that says: “I can STILL do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

I know you have probably heard this but it is worth repeating:  “Attitude determines altitude.” This is statement that we all know is true. The right attitude makes a huge difference. The wrong attitude is many times what leads to our fall.

Caleb sure had the right attitude. He knew that in his later years that there was still much more that God wanted to do. He knew that there was still a lot that needed to be done. There was still ground to be taken. He wasn’t going to sit on his rear end & wait for somebody else to do it. So at 85 years old, he set out to take the land. Praise God!

Caleb could have rested in the accomplishments that they had already achieved like most people do. But he was not going to let a little bit of success stop him from accomplishing his purpose. He didn’t let his greying hair & aging body rob him of some of the most fruitful days of his life. He believed God at 85 JUST LIKE he did at 40!

I want to share that kind of spirit. I don’t believe that my best days are behind me. I believe that they are before me. I don’t believe that your best days are behind you either. I believe that today is the greatest gift that you have. Yet, I also know that our attitude about things determine how we use this gift that has been given to us.

I have seen 2 things rob so many people in the church of the blessings that could have been theirs:

1.      Youthfulness

2.      Age

There are some who think that they are to new at the Christian life to offer anything of value to the kingdom. They say things like this:

1.      I don’t know enough.

2.      I haven’t been saved long enough.

3.      I’m not smart enough.

4.      I’m not holy enough.

5.      I’m too busy.

6.      I still have too many issues.

7.      Let somebody who is older in the faith do it.

Then there are those who think they are too old to offer anything of value to the kingdom. They say things like this:

1.      I can’t relate with young people anymore.

2.      I don’t have the energy.

3.      I have served my time.

4.      Nobody wants to listen to me anymore.

5.      I’m just too different.

6.      I have too many issues.

7.      Let somebody who is younger handle it.

As you can see, both attitudes are equally in error. They will only rob the person of the greatest joy in this world---being used of God.

I believe the story & testimony of Caleb is in the scripture to encourage us. It is profitable for us to read this & let it inspire us to be stretched in our own faith. Why let age or youthfulness determine what God can or can’t do in your life? Is God really limited by age??? I think not. Is God really limited by your lack of experience??? I think not.

The issue, in my estimation, is a weakened faith on our part. I believe that it stems from us listening to the lies that rattle around in our heads. The lies that say:

1.      You can’t.

2.      You’re too old.

3.      You don’t have enough experience.

4.      You have too many issues.

5.      They won’t listen to you.

Remember, faith comes by hearing. If these are the things that we are hearing & agreeing with, then that is where our faith will be. But, if we start filling our minds with the promises of God, faith will grow in them. The difference is what is produced. The promises will always produce the blessings of God. The other things will produce what so many already have—bondage, lack, depression, etc…

Let your faith be strengthened in the promises of God. Your next 10 years will be more fruitful than all the others combined. God can make that happen, if you can only believe!

Pastor Richard Schlotter