Scripture: "Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, "We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it." But the men who had gone up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people for they are too strong for us." Numbers 13:30
Observation: As complicated as we make life out to be, it normally comes down to only two options. Right or wrong. God's way or man's way. It is up to us to decide which we chose. Life can come at me fast; better choose wisely.
Application: There can be, at times, a certain art to pulling current day application from old testament reading. This story, however, does not represent such a challenge of application. I have seen this story played out many times. This story paints a picture of two common situations and four common choices that I will face. The first situation is one where I am in a position of leadership and have the opportunity to speak in to something. That still small voice is speaking deep inside as I hear the voices of the people around me wage war over a topic. They are speaking against something that I know is not right. They are behaving in a manner that I know is not right. That still small voice is not getting any louder, but its pressure on me has my heart racing as beads of cold sweat begin forming on my back. I am faced with two choices. Do I respond to the voice or do I keep quiet? In the heat of the moment, it is almost always easier to just keep my mouth shut. I could be wrong. Maybe that's not God's voice and I am wrong. Maybe this. Maybe that. The arguments against speaking grow in strength with every second of silence that passes me by. If I hesitate long enough, and I often do, the weight of the words becomes too heavy for me to carry and I will go home having never broken my silence. In the darkness of night, as I try to sleep, that still small voice has turned in to tormenting gong. It reverberates throughout my entire body every time I replay the scene in my head. I see myself stepping up to the plate and striking out. I did not even swing I tell myself. Why did I not just speak? I hate that feeling. Two choices and I chose poorly. The second scenario is the one that follows the original meeting. The truth is supressed and people are exaggerating the circumstances until they have created full fledged lies. The ever present "They said's" arrive on scene and start their artful misinterpretation of the truth. They said this and they said that. Man, I have heard that more than I care to remember. In that moment, the still small voice returns. This time, it is alerting me to the fact that something is not just right. I was not there, I did not hear the original report, but I know that the attitude of the person talking to me is not right. I am once again faced with two choices. I can continue to spread the trash I am hearing by simply doing nothing or I can stand up to the gossip and fight it. The still small voice is there, but the choice is mine. In the heat of the moment it is so easy to agree with the person. I do this passively by saying nothing, or aggressively by joining them. Either way I am guilty of the same offense. Behind the back discord destroys relationships, organizations, religions and countries. I really must learn to attack these situations for what they are, spiritual battles with spiritual outcomes.
Prayer: Courage. Discernment. Wisdom. Patience. Love. Those are words that quite often are missing from gossip and dissention. I pray that these words represent the core of what people remember about me when I am dead and gone. I need constant reminders of the value of every word that I share or every word that I suppress. I desire more than anything to be a person of Caleb's character as he displays courage, discernment, wisdom, patience and love. I never wish to find myself working against you in anything. I never wish to find myself contributing to the works of Satan by not speaking out against lies, gossip and discord. I pray for your forgiveness for the messes I have created in the past and for your guidance as I dig deep for the strength to avoid repeating the mistakes of my past.
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