"Give Me This Hill Country"

We heard a great sermon yesterday at RiverWalk. Now, I know that “great” and “sermon” don't often go into the same sentence, but we were reminded of something yesterday that I sorely needed to be reminded of (I know I'm ending this sentence in a preposition, but don't want to re-arrange it). The lesson isn't new. It's been taught many countless times. But the application can be entirely new depending on who hears it and what that person's need may be.
The lesson was taken from the Old Testament book of Joshua, in the part which told of Caleb's request to Joshua to give him the part of the promised land where the Anakim (the giant people) lived. At age 85, according to the account, Caleb said he was still as vigorous now as he was 45 years ago, and could, with God's help, conquer the land.
The pertinent quote for me was when Caleb said to Joshua, “Now, give me this hill country...” At age 85, after wandering in the wilderness for 40 years, burying his peers, Caleb could have been satisfied to have just coasted into the promised land and occupied a place which had already been subdued by Joshua and his army. But no, Caleb was ready for more. Caleb was ready to not only claim the promise of God as given through Moses, but Caleb was nowhere close to retirement...nowhere close to giving up and coasting through the remainder of life. He was ready to do battle with the very people who instilled fear and trembling into Israel some 40 years before.
I don't have, as far as I know, a promise from God that He's going to give me any land that I'll have to conquer. I do, however have many other promises of God that are every bit as important as any promised land I might have been given. I also have a tendency to want to just coast through these next several years and just “get by”.
“If I can just make it to Social Security. If I can just make it to Medicare. If I can just get to the point where I don't have to punch an 8 to 5 clock every day.” If, if, if. This is no way to live, and is no way for a Christian to show others the abundant life promised by the Messiah Himself. What kind of an example am I setting for myself and for others?
“I remained loyal to the Lord my God.”
“The Lord has preserved my life just as He promised.”
“Give me this hill country.”
“I'm just as strong and vigorous now as I was years ago.”
“I can go about my daily activities with the same energy now as I had then.”
“Assuming the Lord is with me, I will conquer...”

AMEN