Lately I have been studying the Old Testament. This past weekend I found myself in the book of Joshua.
This was a time when Moses had died and Joshua was in charge of taking the children of Israel into the Promised Land. It was the land God had already said was theirs.
As I read, it seemed to be battle after battle after battle. I stopped and said, “Lord, this is all battles!” To which He replied, “So it is.”
God had given them the land, it was theirs for the taking, however they weren’t able to just move in – they had to take it by force.
Matthew 11:12 says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
Each new city was a battle to attain that city. And attain they did. There was not one time that God said, “Go in and take it, it’s yours!” that they didn’t possess the land.
So it is with us today. Jesus came and destroyed all the works of the devil. The Bible tells us so. Because of Jesus, we also have a promised land.
In that land is healing. In that land is deliverance. In that land is prosperity. In that land is soundness of mind. There is peace in that land. There is restoration in that land. There is resurrection in that land. Benefit after benefit belongs to us in our land of promise. It is ours for the taking – God has said so. The rest is up to us.
Some believe if God meant for us to have healing, He would heal us…to that I say, “HE DID!” Some say, “If God meant for us to be prosperous, He would give us wealth”…to that I say again, “HE ALREADY DID!”
Our Promised Land is here for the taking…will we take it? Or will we do like the generation that didn’t enter into the promised land and declare, “The giants are too big, it is too hard, God is letting us starve here, God is going to let us go under, why did God bring us this way?!?!”
They did not enter, frankly, they didn’t even make it to the book of Joshua. Why? Because they murmured and complained against God on a daily basis. Furthermore, they complained against the man of God that God had placed over them. For these reasons, they never received what God had promised them even though it WAS INDEED a promise from God.
This truth alone reminds me that even if God does give me a word, if I don’t do my part, I will never see it come to pass AND it isn’t God who didn’t fulfill it, it is me who has let it slip away.
The Bible says, “Without a vision, the people perish.” One translation says without a vision, the people let go. I refuse to let go. How about you?
Healing is ours. As sure as those cities belonged to the children of Israel, it is ours for the taking…will we take it? Just as God empowered them to take the cities, He has empowered you to take your healing.
Prosperity is ours…will we take it? Restoration is ours…what are we going to do about it?
Peace and soundness of mind are ours, will we lay hold of it?
God has done His part, victory is ours for the taking…let’s take it!
Meditate on this!
For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore, also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. 2 Cor. 1:20
