Just Say Yes by Chrissy Callahan

Have you ever held out for what looked like an unlikely promise? Or maybe you found yourself staring at a “next step” that seemed over your head?

In the book of Joshua, Caleb recounts his decision to trust God’s promise, even when the other men with him said it would be impossible. In their eyes, the obstacles were too big or too frightening, but Caleb chose to trust God instead:

“I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless, my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully.” – Joshua 14:7-8 (NASB)

Going Against The Grain

The background to this can be found in Numbers 13. In a nutshell, Caleb and Joshua were among the 12 spies that Moses sent out to bring word back about the land God had promised the Israelites. Upon their return, ten of the men told Moses not to go into the land—they said the land itself was great and fruitful, but the inhabitants were strong and the cities were large and fortified. 

Caleb and Joshua, on the other hand, chose to stand on God’s promise and believe that if God said he would give the land to the Israelites, he would. And he would do it no matter what the situation looked like. 

Fast-forward to Joshua 14, none of the men who doubted God’s word were allowed into the Promised Land, but Joshua succeeded Moses as a leader, and Caleb was given his very own portion of the Promised Land. 

When Obstacles Come…

But there’s more to the story. When the ten spies gave their negative report about the Promised Land, part of their worry was that they spotted the descendants of Anak living in the land (Numbers 13:28). The Anakim are said to have been big and powerful, and as we see here, they were strong enough to cause the Israelites to fear. Instead of being destroyed as the ten other men feared, Caleb was given the very land that was named after the greatest man among the Anakim: 

“Therefore, Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite until this day, because he followed the Lord God of Israel fully. Now the name of Hebron was formerly Kiriath-arba; for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war.” – Joshua 14:14-15 (NASB; emphasis added)

Once again, though, the story doesn’t end here. Caleb chose to trust God when others doubted, he stayed faithful to God those next 45 years as the Israelites worked their way through the Promised Land, and now he was being rewarded with the land of the greatest man among their enemies—but he still needed to clear the land. 

Chapter 15 records: 

“Now he gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh a portion among the sons of Judah, according to the command of the Lord to Joshua, namely, Kiriath-arba, Arba being the father of Anak (that is, Hebron). Caleb drove out from there the three sons of Anak: Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, the children of Anak.” – Joshua 15:13-14 (NASB)

Moving Forward With Steadfast Faith

Two lessons I was struck with through Joshua 14-15 were how important Caleb’s faithfulness was and the fact that there was still work to do after the Israelites entered into the Promised Land. In Caleb’s case, he was faced with the challenge of clearing out some of the strongest people in the land. 

Even so, Caleb’s faith in God’s promise and faithfulness didn’t waver. He believed that God would do what he said he would do, and Caleb believed that God was mighty to see it through to completion. Obstacles didn’t mean Caleb was on the wrong path or that God wasn’t with him; they were simply a part of the journey. 

That’s a little different from how God’s promise is talked about sometimes today. It’s not uncommon for people to give up when circumstances look impossible or inconvenient. Some modern Christian movements even equate a lack of obstacles with the evidence of God’s blessing on the situation… which can be misleading because many people in Scripture endured obstacles while being obedient to God’s calling. Instead of giving up, they turned to God and trusted Him to lead them through.

Everyone’s journey is different, and it’s not for us to say how God should and shouldn’t do things. We know he is trustworthy in all things, so we don’t need to worry past that. We can be encouraged, though, knowing that obstacles don’t necessarily mean that something isn’t God’s will. What’s important is that we continue to seek God, so we are attentive to how he leads instead of letting how we feel dictate our faith. 

Wrapping Up

Opportunities for change have come up lately that previously would have caused me to hesitate. They’re small, but even still, I find myself ready to move full speed ahead while at the same time thinking, “Wait! How is this going to work? What happens after this first step?” 

Even so, I find myself challenged to just say yes. If there’s anything I’ve learned the past few years, it’s that God is faithful to go with us through whatever and wherever he leads. 

Sometimes we may think that a change is going to be a lot bigger, scarier, or more inconvenient than it actually is. I’m slowly finding that I don’t need to know how I’m going to do it all. I just need to be willing to say yes and obey, and God gives grace through the steps that follow. 

Doing the right thing will sometimes mean going against the grain, holding on to a promise when it looks impossible or working through tough situations even after you thought you were finally “there.” Don’t be discouraged. Keep seeking God through all of it and trust him to lead you forward. 

One last note to add: it can be hard to say yes if you’re used to being guarded. Maybe you feel like God is trying to open you up to something that scares you. If you feel yourself fighting it, take a deep breath and open yourself to God. Let him know he has full reign and you will be obedient. You don’t need to know how all of the details are going to work out; you just need to be willing to go.

Whether the decisions you’re facing today are big or small, don’t be afraid to “just say yes” to the things you know God is pulling at your heart to do. And if you’re not sure, keep praying and seeking God. Seek him to know his will, but then don’t hesitate when he reveals it’s time to move. 

Here’s to saying yes to an adventure of a lifetime! Here’s to our journey, friends.

Chrissy Callahan is the writer behind Status Quo Questions blog. She works in software currently and hopes to someday use the skills she’s learned to help strengthen churches and believers around the world. Chrissy holds a master’s degree in Ministerial Leadership and is passionate about digging in to what it means to pursue genuine Christian living and solid Christian leadership.