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HEY, I'M EIGHTY-FIVE, STILL HERE AND STILL STRONG Josh. 14:10-13 Until chapter 14, we find Caleb being silent. He had been promised some land and it appeared as though he had accepted the fact that it was his but the time came that he reminded Joshua that he was still interested in what was happening. Caleb gave the Lord credit when he said the Lord has kept me alive as He said. Many promises are made to man but man needs to remember that God never goes back on a promise. He has promised us if we call on Him He will save us. Romans 10:13. He has said he will never leave us nor forsake us Hebrews 15:5. He will give unto us eternal life and we shall never perish. John 10:27. He also has promised that he will honor the right cause and punish the unrighteous. Psalms 1:1-3. Today one of the greatest needs I see is for men to praise and give honor to the Lord for his marvelous works. Psalms 8 tells us the moon, sun, and stars give proof of his glory. Then he asked what is man that thou art mindful of him? God gave dominion to man over all the sheep, oxen and the beasts of the field, the fowls of the air, the fish of the sea and whatsoever passes through the sea. No wonder Caleb was still strong at age 85, he gave the Lord credit for his strength. After Caleb gave the Lord credit he said in verse 12, "Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spoke in that day." Caleb was looking back forty-five years as some of us need to look back and remember what the Lord has done for us. We need to look back and see ourselves the way we were before we were saved. I for one don't want to ever forget how good the Lord has been to me. We need to look back and see the many times the Lord rescued us from ourselves. Man is a lot like a sheep. We get "outside" and wander from here to there but never find our way home. God sometimes must send someone after us. The church has a message for the world but it must be taken by someone. Are we going to sit around and always let others do it? Or is there a time we need to say as Isaiah said here am I, send me. Isaiah .6:8. Friends, you and I may not be eighty-five years old as Caleb was but if God gives us 70-80 years to live we need now to be building some memories we can look back on. Caleb said in the latter part of verse 12, if so be the Lord be with me, I shall be able to drive them out. If God be for us, who can be against us. Romans .8:31. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13. Caleb was a patient person, I'm sure the forty-five years after he was promised the mountain went fast. My elder brother said, where has the time gone? Just yesterday things were all different. Time waits for none of us. Is there something you need to be doing, get on with it for the day of rest is near. |