04. Caleb Wanted the Hill Country.
Caleb Wanted the Hill Country
Article 4 | You Were Made for So Much More Than This
What are you asking God for in your remaining years?
More comfort? Fewer responsibilities? Enough health and money to enjoy yourself?
There is nothing wrong with rest, travel, or enjoying your grandchildren.
But have you stopped asking God for an assignment that requires faith?
At eighty-five, Caleb still wanted the hill country.
He had waited forty-five years. He had walked through the wilderness, watched a generation pass away, and finally entered the land God had promised.
Now he stood before Joshua and said:
“Now therefore give me this hill country, of which Yahweh spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and great and fortified cities. It may be that Yahweh will be with me, and I shall drive them out, as Yahweh spoke.”
Joshua 14:12 WEB
Caleb knew there were giants on that mountain. He asked for it anyway.
His confidence rested in the God who had made the promise.
That raises a question for our generation:
Have we allowed our expectations of what God can do through us to shrink with every birthday?
We spent decades developing skills, solving problems, raising families, managing resources, and learning to work with people.
Those years have prepared us to serve.
What might happen if we placed that experience at Jesus’ disposal?
Your mountain may look different from Caleb’s.
It may be a young disciple who needs someone to walk beside him until he can help others follow Jesus.
It may be a household in your neighborhood where people are ready to explore the stories of Christ.
It may be a missionary who needs a faithful coach, someone who listens, prays, encourages, and helps develop local leaders.
It may be an unreached people group you begin praying for by name, learning about, and helping others engage.
It may be using your business experience to strengthen a ministry, your resources to equip workers, or your home to gather ordinary people who will learn to make disciples.
An assignment can reach across an ocean while you serve from your own home.
A conversation. A training group. A regular coaching call.
Small beginnings can carry enormous significance when the people we help begin helping others.
And for those whose health or energy has changed, your calling still matters. Caleb described unusual physical strength at eighty-five. That is his testimony, not a requirement you must meet before God can use you.
Ask what faithfulness looks like with the strength, time, relationships, and resources you have today.
We have already considered the purpose of our remaining years, the danger of settling into comfort, and the opportunity to participate in multiplying movements. Now the question becomes personal:
“Lord, where do You want me to serve?”
We are praying and working toward the Great Commission being fulfilled by 2033.
What part might God entrust to you?
Caleb’s request came from a lifetime of following the Lord. Joshua 14 repeatedly points to his wholehearted faithfulness.
So asking God for your mountain begins with listening and surrender.
Open your Bible. Pray. Talk with trusted believers. Pay attention to the people and opportunities God has already placed before you.
Then take a step.
Here is your assignment today:
Set aside fifteen minutes and pray:
“Lord, my remaining years belong to You. Show me where You want me to invest them. Give me the faith to obey and the willingness to begin.”
Write down the person, place, or assignment that comes to mind. Test it through Scripture, prayer, and wise counsel.
Then identify one action you can take this week.
Make the call. Invite the neighbor. Begin the training. Offer to coach. Ask how you can help.
At eighty-five, Caleb could still see a future worth giving himself to.
Can you?
Want to go further?
All ten Zúme discipleship lessons are on my site, free, with the video and the same teaching notes I use when I train leaders in person. Take them on your own, take them with a few friends, or join me live on Zoom and I will teach them to you face to face. When you finish, tell me and I will coach you personally.
Start the ten lessons:
https://internationalafricanmobilization.com/training/terrys-zume-teaching-series/
Join a live training –
https://zume.training/join-a-training
Terry Ruff
Ordinary People. Extraordinary Movements.
Your gift would be tax deductible and overseen by Northside Christian Church, our sending church. There are many we coach that could use encouragement in small ways to accomplish great things.
Join Zúme with Terry: https://zume.training/join-a-training
Next Steps sign-up: https://airtable.com/appUh4Y3McdFcQ8Xg/pagCyMWEWZbPNlyH5/form
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL3uTs7avHg