Then Joshua blessed him, and he gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for an inheritance.
– Joshua 14:13
This is such a good verse in light of the whole story of Numbers 13–14, as Caleb and Joshua went with the other spies into the promised land, scattered out, and came back. Everybody’s saying, “This land is amazing,” but only two of them saying, “We can trust God to give it to us.” The other 10 said, “We can’t trust God. There’s no way we can go into this land.” As the story continues, that entire generation passes away because they did not trust God. They didn’t take God at his Word. He had specifically told them, “I’m going to give you this land,” but Caleb and Joshua believed it, and they stood strong, even at the risk of their lives.
Joshua 14:13 teaches us that we will never regret trusting God’s promises.
So now we come to Joshua 14, 45 years later, and Caleb is still standing. He’s still alive, and Joshua gives this particular part of the land, Hebron, to Caleb for an inheritance. And there’s a lot we could pray according to here, but the one truth I really want to hone in on as we pray is this: You will never regret taking God at his Word. Mark it down. Don’t forget it. You will never regret taking God at his Word.
So God, we praise you for what you did in Caleb’s life and Joshua’s life. God, we praise you for their bold faith at great cost. We praise you for their trust in you that led to inheritance, which led to reward for Caleb on this day in Joshua 14. And God, we pray for the spirit of Caleb that we see in Numbers 13–14, and here in Joshua 14, in us because we know it’s the Spirit of Jesus, your Spirit in us that causes us to trust in you, to take you at your Word.
Joshua 14:13 challenges us to remove all hesitation in obeying God.
God, we pray that you would help us. No matter what we’re facing right now, no matter what we may face in the future, challenges, obstacles may come, no matter what cost or price may come, God help us to take your Word, to do all that you call us to do in your Word, according to leadership of your Spirit in our lives, and help us to trust that obedience to your Word always, always, always leads to reward, that trust in your Word always leads to reward.
And God, we pray specifically for this perspective on this Commission you’ve given us to make disciples of all the nations, God, to make disciples right around us and to the ends of the earth. Help us to boldly trust you, obey you and do all that you command us to do. God, we pray there would be no restrictions, limitations, hesitation when it comes to however you call us to make disciples of the nations.
Lord, we pray you help us to boldly obey you, knowing that it will lead to reward for us and for others, and ultimately, glory for you.
Prayer for the Dendi People
God, we pray this over the Dendi people of Benin, for 400,000 of them who have not been reached by the gospel. Lord, we pray, just as we think about this, picture Numbers 13–14, you calling your people to take the land. God, help us as your people to take the land, to take the peoples, to spread the gospel to all the peoples of the world, including the Dendi of Benin, that they might be saved and we might experience the reward of seeing the nations praise your Name.
Oh God, please bless us as we prayed in Psalm 67; toward that, please give us the spirit, not just of Caleb, but the Spirit of Christ to boldly obey you as disciple makers among the nations. I pray this over each one of our lives as followers of Jesus, in his name, according to your Word in Joshua 14. Please help us to obey you and do all that you call us to do today until we experience our ultimate reward in you. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
