In accordance with the Lord’s command to him, Joshua gave to Caleb son of Jephunneh a portion in Judah—Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. (Arba was the forefather of Anak.) 14 From Hebron Caleb drove out the three Anakites—Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai, the sons of Anak. 15 From there he marched against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher). 16 And Caleb said, “I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 17 Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage.

18 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, “What can I do for you?”

19 She replied, “Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.” So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs. (NIV)

As we saw previously, for forty five years Caleb had clung to the promise that he would be given Hebron. At the age of eighty five, he had shown willing for the fight to lay claim to his promised territory, and as we see in this little cameo in chapter 15, he did take his land. (All of this comes within a chapter about the allotment of land for Judah).

Then we have the beautiful story about Aksah’s request. I think the key to understanding this is that her father had given her land in ”the Negev”, which means ‘the dry’. It was desert land down in the hot south of the country. Therefore this daughter was coming to her willing father, asking for a supply corresponding to her need. If that was where she was to live and work she would need water. She asked. He gave

In the Bible, ‘water’ is often symbolic of water, and I am reminded of these words of Jesus in Luke 11:11-13:

” “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

I believe it is a fundamental principle that, by and large, in the Christian life you tend to get what you go for. So long as it is clearly in the revealed will of God (i.e. in line with His Word) you can ask your perfect Heavenly Father for His best blessings, and trust Him to give them. How we need to constantly come to the Father for the fullness of His Spirit, as He requires of us to live in this ‘desert’ of a fallen world. We can come with confidence, trusting for His supply.

I am often reminded of J.Oswald Sanders’ challenging words:

”We are at this moment as close to God as we really choose to be.”