Twelve men go in to explore the Promised Land on behalf of Israel. They were given a specific set of questions to answer and then report back to Moses. They travel in and gather information, but when they return, they do not just report the facts; they provide their interpretation of the situation.

Ten of them say that the people are big and strong and the Israelites will look like bugs in their eyes. They will be seen as tiny intrusions that need to be squished.

Only two men believe that God can handle the armies and give them the land. One is named Joshua, and the other is Caleb. Joshua will lead the people after Moses, and we know a great deal about his life. Caleb, we know much less, but an essential description of him emerges as the story unfolds. “Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it” (Numbers 14:24). He is described as a man who followed God “wholeheartedly.” He is also described in this manner in Numbers 32:11 and 12, Deuteronomy 1:16, and Joshua 14:14.

One characteristic of a believer that God desires is that they follow him “wholeheartedly.” That means they have a complete and total commitment to him.

The opposite is a divided heart. Psalm 86 has a title over it that says, “A Prayer of David.” In this prayer, he asks God to change his heart. “Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86:11)

Behind these passages is a single idea: We are to give ourselves entirely to the Lord and his will. One goal of a believer is to spend their life removing the distractions that keep them from total devotion to God. Instead of being pulled in multiple directions, every day is given to a singular task: living a life that is pleasing to God.

“Lord, help me to have an undivided heart so that I might follow you wholeheartedly.”