Joshua 14:8
Caleb was one of the two spies that came back with a good report. He didn’t follow the crowd. He followed the Lord. And he followed Him with everything he had.
Joshua 14:8 says, “Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the Lord my God.”
Because of that, he got the full blessing. He didn’t die in the wilderness like the rest. He didn’t just survive—he thrived.
By the time we get to Joshua 14, Caleb is 85 years old. He’s been waiting 45 years to receive what God had promised him. And now it’s his moment. But before he takes that mountain, he reminds us why he’s still standing: he wholly followed the Lord.
Proverbs 3:6 says, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
That’s what Caleb did. He didn’t just acknowledge God when it was easy or when things were going his way. He acknowledged Him in all his ways—even when it cost him something.
That’s the secret. If you want full blessings, you have to fully follow. Not halfway. Not on Sundays only. Not when it’s popular. Fully.
So how do we do that? What kind of mindset does it take to fully follow the Lord? Caleb gives us three.
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1. Wait With Faith
Joshua 14:10 – “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.”
Caleb waited 45 years. That’s a long time. But he didn’t get bitter. He didn’t blame God. He just stayed faithful.
Truth is, anything good takes time. That’s just how God works. Caleb had to wait—not because of his own sin, but because of the sin of others. He had to pay for mistakes he didn’t make.
Maybe that’s you. Maybe your parents made choices that affect your life. Maybe your government has failed you. Maybe people around you keep messing up and you’re the one paying for it.
Don’t let that stop you. Caleb didn’t. He waited with faith, trusting that when the time was right, God would come through.
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2. Withstand With Strength
Joshua 14:11 – “As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in.”
At 85 years old, Caleb said, “I’m just as strong now as I was at 40.” That’s not normal. That’s not just physical—it’s mental, too.
He had kept his strength because he had kept his spirit right. He didn’t let bitterness eat him up. He didn’t let age or excuses slow him down. He took care of his body, and he took care of his mind.
If we’re going to fully follow the Lord, we have to be strong too. Not just in the gym. But strong in our hearts. Strong in our thinking. Strong in our faith.
Read your Bible. Guard your mind. Rest when needed. Eat right. Talk to God. Talk to good people. Caleb didn’t drift. He stayed sharp.
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3. War With Courage
Joshua 14:12 – “Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the Lord spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the Lord said.”
Caleb wasn’t just ready to sit on a rocking chair. He still wanted the mountain—giants and all.
Fully following God means we’re willing to fight. That fight happens inside of us and outside of us.
We fight our thoughts. We fight temptation. We fight discouragement. That’s the internal fight.
Then there’s the outside fight. Sometimes it’s in our homes. Sometimes it’s at work. Sometimes it’s even in the church—trying to stay faithful when things get tough.
Caleb said, “Give me that mountain.” He knew there were giants there. He just believed God would help him win.
We’ve got to have that same mindset. Full blessings don’t come easy. But if we fully follow, God will help us win every fight we face.
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Caleb was different because his mindset was different. He waited with faith. He withstood with strength. He warred with courage.
And at the end of it all, he got the full blessing. So can you—if you wholly follow the Lord your God.
