June 26, 2024

A while ago, I was reading Deuteronomy 1:8 and something struck me. God spoke to the Israelites through Moses and said that He had given them the promised land. But at that time, the Israelites were still in the land of Moab. “See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers-to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-and to their descendants after them.” – Deuteronomy 1:8 This promised land was far away from where they were at that moment. In addition, they first had to get there, and when they did, they would even have to conquer it because the land was still owned by others. This required a major step of faith on the part of the Israelites! They grumbled, complained, and argued (Deuteronomy 1:26-27), but Moses reminded the Israelites that God had been faithful and provided for them all along the journey (Deuteronomy 1:29:31). He would also ensure that the land He promised them would come into their possession, and they would gain victory. /*! elementor – v3.22.0 – 24-06-2024 */ .elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} A better covenant As I read this, it reminded me of the fact that our walk with the Lord is not very different from that of the Israelites, and we, like the Israelites, can sometimes have difficulty trusting God and standing on His promises. Today, because of the sacrifice Jesus made, we live under a much better covenant and are back under the blessing of Abraham (Galatians 3:13-14), which is the same blessing the Israelites had. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” – Galatians 3:13-14 When reading Deuteronomy 8, that realization hit me even harder. Wow, but wait a minute; this means that all of God’s promises He made to the Israelites and Abraham apply to us too! Error in my head!  This is of course fantastic news, but there is also a responsibility on our part, because although all these promises have already been made, we still have to take action ourselves. Nor was it cast into the bosom of the Israelites; they still had a long journey and a battle ahead of them. Same, we must learn to discover what all those promises are, so we know what is ours.Jesus accomplished so much on that cross! It is much more than just salvation, which in itself is, of course, an indescribably great gift. It strikes me that there are many Christians who are not or not fully aware of what was released when Jesus went to the cross.Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to say that I have all the wisdom (although we all do have the mind of Christ😉; 1 Corinthians 2:16). We are all on our way to our promised land, just like the Israelites, and during that journey we can learn to renew our minds so that they align with God’s Word (Romans 12:2). You can only learn this journey of discovery into all promises and blessings by spending time in the Word and with God, and by following good Biblical education. It is not without reason that God has appointed teachers in the fivefold ministry. I want to encourage you to look for them and accept them with both hands. It will bless you. Yes, and Amen! Back to the Israelites. God chooses to work with us and through us. So it is up to us to trust Him and take steps of faith. Man! I still find that exciting sometimes. Apart from their complaining and grumbling😃, what example were the Israelites in this. They had to cross that desert first and then fight to conquer that land! It was a long journey, and yes, they resisted; yes, they struggled and rebelled (that’s how not to do it, LOL). But eventually they arrived in that promised land, and God did what He said would happen – the land became theirs! The taking of the land was not all done overnight; it happened step by step and started with the taking of the city of Jericho(Joshua 6:1-16). “Then the Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men.  March around the city once with all the armed men. Do this for six days” – Joshua 6:1-3  God gave them possession of the land before they saw it in natural. This required faith and trust, and step by step, the country became theirs. We can also discover, step by step, which promises are already ready for all of us, and there are so many! From our salvation and eternal life to health to life in prosperity and freedom, and many more, Hallelujah! Discovering this, just like the Israelites in the desert, is a journey in itself. I want to encourage you to discover what belongs to you and not to become rebellious, like the Israelites, or to doubt all these promises because this could unnecessarily extend your journey to your promised land to forty years, LOL . Take them with both hands! For all God’s promises are Yes and AMEN! “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.” – 2 Corinthians 1:20 Taking back what is yours Accepting and believing God’s promises is the first step. Then you can go on a journey with Him and little by little take over your promised land. The enemy is the one who has usurped your country for himself all this time, but Jesus defeated him on the cross!  Now it is up to you, together with God, to drive him out! It’s your land! Even if you don’t see it yet! Even if you don’t see that