Stop Complaining. Stop Professing the Negative Results. Stop Blaming People.

The Israelites spent one night in murmuring and weeping. They complained against Moses. They complained against God. They have witnessed the glory of God and the signs yet they have no faith (Numbers 14:22). Their complains ended up in judgements from God. They did not live to see the promised lands except for Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 14:27-35). For the next forty years, they wandered in the wilderness and one generation has to die before the next generation moved into the promised lands. And yet, we read further that the people were not repentant of their sins even after Moses pronounced the judgements from God. They persisted to go up to the mountains to take the lands and they were defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites (Numbers 14:39-45). What they had professed with their mouths had come true. Indeed, they died by the hands of the giants in the lands (Numbers 14:3).

But for Caleb and Joshua who had professed with their mouths the greatness and faithfulness of God who would deliver the enemies into their hands, they received the blessings of their confessions and faith (Numbers 14:30, 37, 38). They believed and told the people that God would protect them and give them the lands (Numbers 14:7-9).

The Lord declared that His servant, Caleb, has a different spirit and he has followed God completely (Numbers 14:24). This is a spirit of faith. A spirit faith is not by the mouth alone. It is by actions, too. Caleb and Joshua placed their reports, spoke the truth and persuaded the people to trust in God. This is the spirit that the Lord is commending on Caleb.

Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 18:18-19 that “whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.” Caleb and Joshua did exactly what Jesus taught His disciples. They professed with their mouths that the Lord would give them the promised lands of Canaan and indeed they received it from God. Jesus said that it was not what went into the mouth that made a man unclean but rather what came out of the mouth for it came from the heart. In the hearts of Caleb and Joshua, is a heart of faith, hence the words of faith in God. By our words, we can bring life or death to ourselves and to others watching us. Will you choose to be like the Israelites or Caleb? Will you choose to speak with a heart of faith positive results or with a heart of rejection negative results?