[A Meditation on One Verse]

(Joshua 14:12) “Now therefore, give me this hill country of which the LORD spoke on that day, for you yourself heard on that day how the Anakim were there, with great and fortified cities. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”

When we hear Caleb’s cry, “Give me this hill country,” we praise his bold faith. The sight of him demanding the most rugged land at the age of 85 looks so great. How magnificent!

But the true subject of this confession is not Caleb. At the beginning and end of his confession, Caleb exclaims, “of which the LORD spoke on that day…” and “as the LORD said…” making it clear that his actions are rooted in the ‘promise of God.’

What I focused on here is “on that day.” What did ‘that day’ mean to Caleb? Perhaps for him, ‘that day’ was not just some day in the past. For him, ‘that day’ was always in the present tense. When he woke up, Caleb would have meditated like this: “The Lord made a promise ‘on that day’.” And upon waking again, he would say, “He made a promise ‘on that day’.”

‘That day,’ which held God’s promise, was for Caleb a living present that had held and led him through all the days of the past 45 years. And finally, he is experiencing the fulfillment of that promise today. This is faith.

This morning, we pray this prayer to the God who gave faith to Caleb:

“Lord, holding onto the word You promised ‘on that day,’ I begin ‘today.’ Give me this hill country now.”

(Daily Reading)

Joshua 14:6-15:12