Take The Land (II)
I started this study series last Friday (22/04/22) which centres on us (believers) taking advantage of and enjoying everything Jesus got for us.
You can read up on Part 1 here.
Some key things mentioned then were:
▪️God wants the best for us and He has provided it all in Christ.
▪️God will not take away the giants (troubles, challenges, difficulties, opposition) we encounter as we move to possess our inheritance in Christ. Tackling them ourselves helps us build patience, character and hope which equip us for the future.
▪️Just like, Caleb, we must stir up the spirit of faith in us and also commit to following God fully.
Today we answer the question…….
How Do You Take The Land?
1. Trust and Obey
Of the 12 spies sent to spy out Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb made it to the promised land. God specifically distinguised Caleb as having a different spirit and of following Him fully/wholeheartedly.
“But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went, and his descendants shall inherit it.” Numbers 14:24 NKJV
What exactly did Caleb do?
While majority of the spies conveniently presented a fact-file of their visit with some added negativity (Numbers 13:32-33), Joshua and Caleb had a different perspective.
We see the conclusion of Caleb’s report in Numbers 13:30
“And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.” Numbers 13:30 KJV
–Let us GO UP AT ONCE, and possess it–
Why do you think Caleb took this stand?
He trusted in God’s faithfulness and was willing to obey, heed and follow God completely. Make no mistake about it, that just like the rest of the spies, Caleb saw the good fruits of the land, saw it’s inhabitants but he refused to see himself as grasshopper against giants. No! Not when the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is his God!
At some point in your Christian walk, to take the land and enjoy all of God’s promises in Christ Jesus, you must answer the question of whether you truly trust God? Do you really trust in His ability, strength, faithfulness? Can you take certain ‘risks’ based on God’s Word to you? Do you trust God enough to get off that sick bed simply because His Word says you are healed or are you seeing yourself worse? Do you trust God enough to make that career move in the midst of uncertainties or do you fear a possibly transient (but impactful) loss of income? Do you trust God enough to let Him sort out your marriage or children as you keep speaking His Word over them? Can you start that ministry or business simply because God spoke to you to do so?
When you trust God, you will Obey and Act on His Word.
Caleb said, let’s GO Up At Once, Abraham had to MOVE from Ur towards an unknown promised land because God said to go. Moses led Israel from Egypt towards an unknown promised land because God said to ‘move’.
You have to MOVE in order to take the land.
2. Fight Your Fight of Faith
Now, you have just trusted the Lord’s command and MOVED. Congratulations! You just initiated your Change process! However, wake up because you have just landed yourself in the midst of giants.
As said earlier, apart from Joshua and Caleb, the other 10 spies presented a bad report. But really they presented what they saw with their physical eyes (well, with some twists). Apart from the milk and honey, there were indeed giants in the land, the cities were fortified and very large, the inhabitants seemed obviously stronger than the Israelites (Numbers 13:27-29). So there were problems, troubles, challenges. However Joshua and Caleb chose to see a victory. They focused on God’s promises.
Sometimes I listen to people talk about all the unpleasant experiences in thier lives, family, marriage, etc. They narrate these experiences with much detail and accuracy. I listen, listen and listen again, waiting to hear just one faith word come out of their mouth, but then they link another problem and start reinforcing all the enemy is doing with their words.
Some persons who know me pick an offense with me because they see me as mostly keeping to myself. They think I don’t ‘mingle’ much. Well try engaging me with some good bible study time, you’ll be amazed?. Otherwise, sorry, I will not spend my precious time reinforcing what the enemy is trying to do. Tell me some good news about what God is doing. Halleluyah! And let’s search the scriptures together to fix that mess the enemy is trying to create around you. Praise God!!
Do you know that apart from Joshua and Caleb, the other 10 spies died in the wilderness alongside the rest of Israel? Why? They became experts at grumbling, complaining, recounting their unpleasant experiences. They died in the wilderness as a result of unbelief and disobedience (Numbers 14:20-24).
Dear friend, sometimes just ignore the facts and instead, plug yourself into God’s system by speaking His truth.
Anything threatening the actualization of God’s promises in your life can be likened to a giant (opposition, trouble, challenge, difficulty). When you find yourself among unfriendly and dangerous giants, you fight to live. And the weapon of this fight is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17).
To take the land and enjoy all of God’s promises, you must fight to overcome the giants and strong people in the land. Align yourself with God by continually confessing and acting on His Word. Caleb started aligning himself with what God said concerning the land by saying “we are well able to take the land“. David when up againts Goliath sent forth words of victory even before the actual physical fight.
Dear friends, possess the land, take your trust in God a step further; MOVE. And as you move, keep the Word of God relevant for your individual situation always in your mouth.
………..
Well, thank you for joining me again today. I hope this study is inspiring you to boldly step into God’s plan and destiny for you. Please join me next Friday as I share the concluding part.
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