Give me that mountain

Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said." – Joshua 14v12

I am really grateful for all the churches in which we have had a chance to serve. One of the early churches where we served and were trained was the East Chattanooga Baptist Tabernacle. We were there from 1979-1983. It was a wonderful place. Preacher and Granny Haynes were great mentors and teachers. They had an exciting music programme there, especially when I took over as song leader. We sang a lot of old fashioned southern gospel music. One of those songs sprang to mind when I read this morning’s passage. Pardon me as I have copied the whole thing here. ‘I Want That Mountain’ by Bill Harvey.

I saw the Giant of Prayerlessness upon the mountain high;

He laughed so hard at my unbended knee.

No longer in the Wilderness I'll stay, and so I cry:

I want that mountain, it belongs to me!

There was a Giant of Laziness who said I wouldn't go

And witness for the One who set me free.

I'll come from out the Wilderness, I'll witness now I know;

I want that mountain, it belongs to me!

The mountain that my Lord has given me.

One faithless Giant upon the crest of Hebron's lofty height

Has vowed that he's the one to make me flee.

I'll climb from out the Wilderness! and trust Jehovah's might!

I want that mountain, it belongs to me!

The mountain that my Lord has given me.

Let ev'ry Giant of Distress and Unbelief and Sin

Get ready now to vacate, for you see:

I've come from out the Wilderness! I know I'm going to win!

I want that mountain, it belongs to me!

Chorus
I want that mountain! I want that mountain!

Where the milk and honey flow, where the grapes of Eshcol grow,

I want that mountain! I want that mountain!

The mountain that my Lord has given me!

I think this song really captures the spirit of Caleb when he sought the land he saw 40 years earlier. He saw the giants like the weak faithed spies did, but rather than be put off he saw them as opportunities. Finally he was able to enter that wonderful land he had seen, and the giants weren’t about to put him off.

Where did his faith and desire come from? His faith in God’s word gave him confidence – ‘The Lord will be with me and I will be able to drive them out!’

I have always admired Caleb. He was not a leader like Joshua. We don’t hear much about him except at the first and second visits into Canaan. In both cases we see his unreserved faith in God to be with him and to do what He said. The giants did not bother him because he knew that his God was more powerful than any giant.

How do we deal with our own giants of prayerlessness, laziness, faithlessness, distress, unbelief, and sin? Do we quake in fear, or do we have the confidence to say with Caleb, ‘I want that mountain!’