by Jesse Becker

Numbers 14:24 “But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.”

 “Life happens.” I’ve said it, and maybe you have too. We are talking about life’s circumstances that are out of our control. As believers, we know that ultimately God is in control of everything and nothing just “happens.” There is something, however, which God has given us to control, and that is our spirit or outlook on the circumstances around us. That control can make a lot of difference in our world.

Numbers 13 contains the story of the 12 spies sent by Moses to spy out the land of Canaan. Even though they came back bearing some of the wonderful fruit of the land, we find that 10 of the spies came back with an “evil report,” saying, the land is populated with strong people, walled cities, and even giants. However, two spies, and particularly Caleb, had a different outlook on the same set of circumstances. He believed God’s promise that the land was theirs and chose a positive spirit.

There are four choices Caleb made that gave them another spirit:

1. Caleb chose the spirit of complete obedience. God said that Caleb “hath followed me fully.” God’s intent of the spies was to excite and encourage the people about the Promised Land, not calculate the chances of defeat. Caleb obeyed God and tried to encourage the people to take the land. Like the old song says, “There’s no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.”
2. Caleb chose the spirit of a positive outlook. He saw all the same “problems” that the other spies saw, but he chose to see the good over the bad. This is key to changing the world around you. Retrain yourself to acknowledge the good in every situation.
3. Caleb chose a spirit of perseverance. He heard the disparaging report from the other spies, but pressed on. God blessed him greatly by allowing him to enter into the Promised Land. What ever comes your way, don’t quit. God is not done with you yet.
4. Caleb chose a spirit of vision. He looked beyond his immediate surroundings and saw God’s promised goodness. He even expected more. In Joshua 14 Caleb looked at a mountain that he wanted and said, “Give me that mountain.” We should not only choose to see God’s promised good, but also ask for and pursue even more. God is always eager to bless.

There’s one important thing to remember about the spirit you choose: it is contagious. Good or bad, the spirit you have will affect those around you. And, by the way, look for Caleb’s around you. They’re about 1 in 6. They will encourage you.