Joshua 14:6-14
Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal: and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea. Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart. Nevertheless my brethren that went up with me made the heart of the people melt: but I wholly followed the LORD my God. And Moses sware on that day, saying, Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance, and thy children’s for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God. And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as he said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spake this word unto Moses, while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness: and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old. As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now, for war, both to go out, and to come in. Now therefore give me this mountain, whereof the LORD spake in that day; for thou heardest in that day how the Anakims were there, and that the cities were great and fenced: if so be the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said. And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance. Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite unto this day, because that he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

Caleb is the epitome of the longevity of faith. His faith had endured for decades because his faith was wholly in God. It wasn’t in other people, for they had failed him. It wasn’t in the circumstances of his life, for he, too, had to wander that wilderness with the unbelievers, though he had believed God. It wasn’t in himself, for though he had retained his strength, he didn’t rely on it for victory. So through the ups and downs, his faith remained intact. In disappointment and triumph, he would hope in his God.

Our faith really can last a lifetime. It can endure through the trials of life. It can survive despite what happens to us or around us. As long as our faith is wholly in God, it does not need to diminish or wane. Believe in God. Believe in what He has said and what He has promised. Believe in what He can do. Believe in His character, that He is good and faithful and all-powerful. Believe in Him no matter who else has let you down and know that He will never fail nor forsake. Believe in Him no matter your circumstances, disappointments, and trials. He is with you all the way and can bless and give you victory despite any of those things. Believe in Him every day of your life, and it will add up to a lifetime of faith in a God who is worthy of your trust.