Theme of the Week: Zombieland
Bible Verse: “But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully, I will bring into the land into which he went, and his descendants shall possess it.” – Numbers 14:24, ESV
Scripture Reading: Numbers 14:20-24
If you’ve been following the devotionals this week, you’ll know I’ve been using zombies as a reference point. I don’t watch entertainment about zombies myself, but I know that a common depiction is a horde of zombies attacking the hero.
Do you ever feel like this beleaguered hero as a Christian, where the people around you make it hard to thrive as a believer? You’re trying to live a fruitful Christian life. But you feel like there are zombies in your life – unbelievers and nominal Christians – who sap your energy and motivation.
Of course, it’s not flattering to think of people as zombies. The metaphor only goes so far. The idea is that you sometimes feel alone in your Christian journey. You have aggressive coworkers baiting you because they know you’re a follower of Jesus. Your parents may have never supported your decision to follow Christ. You feel your church is lukewarm, happy to sit in the pews and not much else.
You may identify with Caleb in the Bible. He was one of the 12 spies Moses sent out to survey the land of Canaan. The spies returned with their report, bemoaning the powerful stature of the Canaanites and how unassailable their cities were. They influenced the Israelites so strongly that the people wanted to revolt against Moses. Of the 12 spies, only Caleb and Joshua spoke with faith and courage.
In response, God commended Caleb: “My servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly” (Numbers 14:24).
When we feel alone in our faith, we should neither be arrogant like young Joseph – who felt he was better than his brothers – nor should we be timid like Peter – who cowered and denied Jesus after the latter was arrested.
Rather, like Caleb, we follow completely after God, despite what is going on around us. Caleb tried to influence those around him but ultimately, he could only account for his own conduct. And God honoured him for having a different spirit.
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