As I write this, the best golfer of his generation, Tiger Woods, finds himself double digits out of the lead at the Master’s golf course. If we did not know the story of his car accident and the surgeries rebuilding his leg, we might be amazed he could have such a poor showing. Instead, we are amazed he was able to walk and to play golf at all. His first two rounds had him among the leaders. After a difficult day on Saturday, a reporter asked him about his round. Tiger summarized his thoughts in three words: “Never give up.”
Caleb never gave up. In his forties, he was chosen to represent his tribe to go and survey the promised land with eleven other spies. Upon his return, ten of the twelve spies convinced the Israelites that God could not keep his word to them. Well, they didn’t exactly say it that way. They instilled fear in their fellow believers by maximizing the size of their opponents and simultaneously minimizing God. So those ten and that whole generation of Israelites never entered the promised land. They took counsel of their fears and their fears determined their destiny. Unless I go back and look, I can’t remember their names.
The other two names, Joshua and Caleb, we know well. For over forty years, Caleb held on to his faith and waited for his chance. We can imagine him doing situps and pushups for forty years, running wind sprints in the wilderness. Then when the Israelites entered the land, Caleb seized the opportunity. He reminded Joshua that God had promised him a portion of the land. At eighty-five years of age, he was ready to claim it. Joshua had to smile as he blessed him. Then, true to his convictions, Caleb defeated his enemies and claimed God’s promise.
I like the spirit of men like S. L. Potter, a La Mesa, California resident who bungee jumped for the first time at the age of one hundred! Potter's children, ages sixty-eight to seventy-four, were vehemently opposed to the leap, but Potter climbed a 210 foot tower nevertheless and successfully executed his jump. His first words when he completed the jump? "Now give me back my teeth!"
Never give up. Anything God has ever done he can do now. Anything God has done anywhere, he can do here. Anything God has ever done for anyone, he can do for you. Take no counsel of your fears today. What has God promised to do for you? Settle for nothing less. Never give up on God.
