In 1860 the Secret Service was created.

Spy stories are exciting to read or watch. Sometimes the tension comes from worrying that the agent might be discovered. Sometimes we’re not sure who the agent is or who he or she is working for.

The main duty of the Secret Service is to protect the President, the Vice President, their families, and other dignitaries. In wartime, these agents aid in securing information concerning the enemy’s movements—thus the word “secret” in the title.

Being a spy can be dangerous. Secret Service agents have even thrown themselves between assailants and the President, taking the bullet instead of him.

The Bible has a story about 12 spies. Remember? If not, here’s a summary.

The Israelites had escaped Egypt and were moving toward the Promised Land. At the border, before taking the next huge step of fighting the enemy, Moses chose 12 men, one from each tribe, to sneak into the land and check it out. When these spies returned, two of them were excited about the prospects. Knowing that God was with them, they encouraged the nation to move ahead. But the rest of the group gave a different report. Thinking only of the huge enemy soldiers, they were afraid. Unfortunately, those 10 persuaded the people not to trust God and go where he told them. As a result, the Israelites wandered forty more years in the wilderness.

The two courageous spies, Joshua and Caleb, had it right. They trusted God and not in their strength. They were spies, all right, and heroes. In fact, later Joshua ended up being the number one Israelite.

You may not be a spy, but you probably have a good idea of some actions that God wants you to take. Remember Joshua and Caleb and take your promise land.

But Caleb tried to encourage the people as they stood before Moses. “Let’s go at once to take the land,” he said. “We can certainly conquer it!” (Numbers 13:30).

To Do

Read the whole story of Joshua, Caleb, and the rest of the spies in Numbers 13.

Also on this day . . .

This is Take Your Dog to Work Day—woof!

1926—The first lip reading tournament in America was held in Philadelphia, PA.

2003—Apple Computer unveiled the new Power Mac desktop computer.

From Betsy Schmitt and Dave Veerman, 365 Trivia Twist Devotions: An Almanac of Fun Facts and Spiritual Truth for Every Day of the Year (Cincinnati: Standard, 2005).