A lady once asked John Wesley, "Suppose, Mr Wesley, that you knew that you were to die at 12 o'clock tomorrow night, how would you spend the intervening time?"
He replied, "How, Madam? Why just as I intend to spen it now. I should preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning. After that, I should ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the society in the evening. I should then repair to my friend Martin, who expects to entertain me, converse and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o'clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest and wake up in glory"
Joshua 14:6-15
He replied, "How, Madam? Why just as I intend to spen it now. I should preach this evening at Gloucester, and again at five tomorrow morning. After that, I should ride to Tewkesbury, preach in the afternoon, and meet the society in the evening. I should then repair to my friend Martin, who expects to entertain me, converse and pray with the family as usual, retire to my room at 10 o'clock, commend myself to my heavenly Father, lie down to rest and wake up in glory"
Joshua 14:6-15
6 Now the men of Judah approached Joshua at Gilgal, and Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him, "You know what the LORD said to Moses the man of God at Kadesh Barnea about you and me. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 but my brothers who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt with fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.'
10 "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."
13 Then Joshua blessed Caleb son of Jephunneh and gave him Hebron as his inheritance. 14 So Hebron has belonged to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite ever since, because he followed the LORD, the God of Israel, wholeheartedly. 15 (Hebron used to be called Kiriath Arba after Arba, who was the greatest man among the Anakites.)
Then the land had rest from war.
We can truly learn a great lesson from Caleb. Just as how Caleb was wholehearted in fulfilling the vision that God gave to him, though he had to wait 45 years (!), we should be wholehearted in fulfilling the Great Commission that God has called us to do. Let's remain vigorous as before and keep the fire in us alive till we finally fulfil the Great Commission. Likewise, John Wesley wouldn't stop preaching the Word of God till his last breath! Let's not grow tired and weary in proclaiming the Good News and fulfilling the Great Commission.
Let's live our lives to the MAX! Let's give our BEST to God! Let's do it with all our HEART! Let's finish the RACE!
