Joshua 1:2-3 (AMP) Moses My servant is dead. So now arise [take his place], go
over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land which I am giving to
them, the Israelites. Every place upon which the sole of your foot shall tread, that
have I given to you, as I promised Moses.
I know we have a few months to go before Christmas, so I don't want to hear any whining about all you have to do to get ready. But in this photo is by granddaughter Brooklyn opening a present and you see when I read this verse, it says to me that God had a present for Joshua and the Israelites. The "promised land", the land God had hand picked for the Israelites and Moses, was waiting for them. All they needed to do was go and get it. Basically they had to open up the present God had for them. Oh yes they faced battles to obtain the land, by no means was it a walk in the park, but God was gifting them this land. He used His power to help them fight these battles. He used His wisdom to outtrick the enemy. As long as they obeyed Him, they won over the land He was giving them. No matter how big the army of the opposition seemed, they always seemed to win the land, when they obeyed God. Can you imagine what they had to be thinking? It had to seem impossible. They had finally reached the promised land. What started out as an 11 day journey turned into a 40 year whine fest. They wandered around aimlessly for 40 years because of their attitude and disobedience after they were freed from slavery. They we the most ungrateful, whiny people in the Bible. Yet God forgave them and blessed them with this promised land. He fulfilled His promise to Moses, although, those who disobeyed Him did not make it into the promised land, even Moses.
Can you imagine what would happen in our lives if we simply obeyed God? Can you imagine the present He has waiting for us? It is unbelievable for me to understand that we spend or shall I say waste, so much time whining and complaining about our lives and our circumstances. Think about it for a moment. We are so used to our promises being unfulfilled that we do not believe in the promises of God. In fact a majority of us, if we are being honest, doubt that these promises can ever be fulfilled. We wander around like the Israelites moaning and groaning about all our troubles, we tell God that He needs to save us from our own pit that we dug, we expect Him to drop everything and rescue us. When He doesn't, when He makes us wander around the wilderness for 40 years to try to teach us a lesson, we just complain more. We see that the grass is greener on the other side of the street and we become jealous. We notice that so and so has a new car, while ours is falling apart and we become angry. We notice that God has already given our brother his gift, a beautiful new home, and our hearts fill with envy. When is it my turn God? Why don't I have a present to open yet? Seriously?
"Do you remember that time I asked you to sell that truck and trust in me?" "Do you remember that time I asked you to give that $5.00 to the homeless man on the street corner?" "Do you remember that time I asked you to put that grocery cart away so it wouldn't blow into someone else's car?" "Do you remember that time I asked you to forgive your father who made a serious mistake?" I think we get the point, right? All God asks of us is to obey Him and His word. It's not complicated, it's not anything drastic, yet we still battle with that obedience thing. Listen I have learned over the years that God has amazing plans for us, He has gifts, He has our own little version of the promised land here on Earth, but the key is obedience and doing it with a grateful heart. So many of us are missing out on a great life because we don't want to obey God. We doubt Him, we feel unsure and unworthy to receive the gifts God has for us. People that's the good news, oh heck that's the great news! We do not deserve any gift God has for us, yet He gives it to us. Many simply deny His existence because of the obedience thing. If God has a gift for us He should just give it without any strings attached, right? Wrong! All He asks for is obedience and belief. I am sorry but that is simple.
People I have received some of the promises of God. I have a peace that surpasses all understanding. I am healthy and happy because God has blessed me with a man I truly love and a 4 awesome children along with 4 grandchildren, and 3 son-in-laws. I have a sense of love and forgiveness so deep that it is hard to explain. I am filled to overflowing with joy. I may not have a mansion on a hill, I may not have a fleet of classic cars, I may not have a chef who cooks gourmet meals for me. I have so much more that money cannot buy. I want you to have this gift also. See the Israelites had to fight for what God gave them and so have I. I still have to battle that selfish spirit that still lives in me. I still have to fight that sense of pride and "I'll do it my own way" attitude. Listen, God has a plan, a present for each one of us. This plan is something we could never dream. His plan is bigger than our wildest dreams and this present has our name on it. All we need to do is obey Him and His words. That's it! After that it is ours to open and enjoy. Will you open yours? I have!
Today Lord, I ask for nothing. All I want to do is thank you for all the gifts and blessings I have in my life. Thank you for counting me worthy to serve you and thank you for helping me to obey you. Thank you for filling my life with so much joy, Thank you for loving me. In Jesus name I pray, amen
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