So that day Moses promised [Caleb], “The land of Canaan on which you were just walking will be your special possession and that of your descendants forever, because you wholeheartedly followed the Lord my God.” – Joshua 14:9
Caleb was a man of unrelenting pursuit. His eyes had seen a mountain, and Moses had given him a promise. Although he was now eighty-five years old, his resolve and desire to possess the promise were undiminished. He said to Joshua, “So I’m asking you to give me the hill country that the Lord promised me” (Joshua 14:12). Then this elderly man of faith promptly went in and drove out the giants who lived there!
Forty-five years of waiting did nothing to daunt this man’s purposes in God. How often do we “circle the mountain” one time and then decide it is not the will of God for us to receive what we need? In many instances recorded in the Bible, people of faith had to persevere in order to receive the promise. For example, Elijah prayed seven times before he saw the cloud of rain, and Joshua marched seven days until the walls of Jericho toppled.
In the parable of the importuning widow (Luke 18:5), Jesus taught the importance of persistence. If an unjust judge would eventually grant the request of a persistent widow, how much more will a compassionate God answer the prayers of His righteous saints?
Pursue your dream. And until the dream comes to pass, continue to proclaim, “Give me this hill country!”
