June 16, 2013 … Taking Your Promised Land

Daily Berry Patch Devotions in 2013 - Day 167

Passage of the Day #1: Joshua 19: 47 [Taking the Promised Land.] [NLT] …  
47 But the tribe of Dan had trouble taking possession of their land, so they fought against the town of Laish. They captured it, slaughtered its people, and settled there. They renamed the city Dan after their ancestor.
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 Contextual Study for today’s passage: Joshua, Chapter 19 [NLT] … Go to this link … 
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Reference Passage #1: Joshua 1: 2-5: [You have an inheritance with God; … go and take it!] [NLT] …  
2 “Now that my servant Moses is dead, you must lead my people across the Jordan River into the land I am giving them. 3I promise you what I promised Moses: ‘Everywhere you go, you will be on land I have given you—4from the Negev Desert in the south to the Lebanon mountains in the north, from the Euphrates River on the east to the Mediterranean Sea on the west, and all the land of the Hittites.’ 5 No one will be able to stand their ground against you as long as you live. For I will be with you as I was with Moses. I will not fail you or abandon you.

 Reference Passage #2: Joshua 1: 8 [But to claim God’s promised land, they only way to succeed is to stay rooted in His word. ] [NLT] …  
7 Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.  9 I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

My Journal for Today: In Chapter 19 of the Book of Joshua (linked above), you can read about various of the tribes of Israel taking the inherited lands which had been promised to them by God; and in verse 47 the focus was on the battle the tribe of Dan had to fight to claim their inheritance.

Going back the first chapter of Joshua, two passages of which are copied above, the inheritance of God’s people, i.e., the Promised Land, was laid out for Joshua by God. Moses having died, Joshua was charged to take God’s people across the Jordan river and claim their promised land. Now, God didn’t say it was going to be easy; but He did promise, through Joshua to God’s people, that He, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, would be there to give them their inheritance … IF … Joshua and the people would stay true to the covenant God made with His people, which is found in God’s Book of the Law.

Fellow Christian, do you know that God has an inheritance, a “Promised Land,” for you and for me; and God will be there with us as we strive to claim our inheritance. But we have to choose to cross the Jordan in our life and then to stay true to God’s word as we fight the daily battles of life to claim our promised inheritance. But just like God promised Israel and Joshua success in claiming their promised lands, we are guaranteed success as well.

First of all, I think you know that God has sealed our success in claiming our eternal “promised land” by the finished work of His Son, Jesus, on the cross; and if we’re willing to cross the Jordan of our sin nature, in repentance for our sins, and move forward in our relationship with the Living Lord, God will give us what He has promised us – eternal life; … BUT … we have to fight the battles day-by-day to take the promised land … just as did Joshua and God’s people.

But, fellow Christian warrior, I charge you to go back and read/mediate on Joshua’s journal (especially in Joshua 1: 1-9 and see that as long as we (you and me) stay in God’s world and abide by it’s truth, we have the same guarantee of success and power as God gave to Joshua to take our promised land … i.e., our inheritance for God’s glory.

My Prayer for Today … Lord, I have crossed my Jordan; and now I march to claim my inheritance in Your Name and for Your glory. … Amen