READ: Joshua 14: 6-14
And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. :- Joshua 14:10
Caleb’s call began to manifest when Moses sent him on his first mission to lead the spies who went to spy out the land. He was just forty years old. Being sent on a mission is often the beginning of a great call. Do not despise the opportunity to do something exciting or even dangerous when God calls you. You must not pull back from the exciting and thrilling aspects of ministry.
Caleb entered the Promised Land with the people of God after wandering through the wilderness for forty long years (Deuteronomy 8:2-4). This forty-year period would put Caleb’s age at about eighty years when he actually crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land. Indeed, Caleb’s only surviving friend from that era was Joshua. Both Joshua and Caleb must have been around eighty years old when they came out of the wilderness.
Caleb remembered that it was forty-five years since he had been sent as a spy. Being sent as a spy was his first step into real ministry. The scripture above shows that Caleb asked for an inheritance after roaming around in the wilderness for forty years and being in the Promised Land for five years, making a total of forty-five years since he was sent forth as a spy.
Every call of God is a “word of my patience.” This is a word that requires patience, tolerance, endurance, tenacity, survival mentality, calmness, broad-mindedness, open-mindedness and acceptance of many things in order to see the fruit at the end of the day. Patience is a very important aspect of your calling. It is those who have both faith and patience who inherit the promises. (Hebrews 6:12).