Caleb the Giant-Fighter

When Caleb was younger, Moses chose him as one of twelve spies to explore Canaan, the special land God promised to give Israel. All twelve spies saw amazing things—delicious fruit and beautiful land. But they also saw giants! The cities had huge walls, and the people living there were very big and strong.

Ten of the spies came back afraid. They said, 'We can't fight these giants! We looked like tiny grasshoppers next to them!' But Caleb stood up bravely and said, 'We should go right now and take the land! We can definitely do it!' His friend Joshua agreed. But the people wouldn't listen. God said that because of their fear, that whole generation would wander in the desert for forty years—except for Caleb and Joshua, who had faith in God.

For forty long years, Caleb waited. He walked through the hot desert, but he never stopped trusting God. The Bible says he 'wholly followed the Lord.'

Finally, when Caleb was eighty-five years old, it was time to divide up the promised land. Caleb said, 'I'm eighty-five now, but I'm just as strong as I was back then! Now give me the mountain that God promised me—yes, the one with the giants on it!' Most people his age would want an easy place to live, but not Caleb. He wanted the mountain with the giants because he trusted God completely.

Joshua blessed Caleb and gave him the mountain. Then Caleb drove out the giants, just as he knew God would help him do! Caleb's story teaches us that when we trust God and wait patiently, God always keeps His promises.