When it comes to putting action to our faith, many of us are good at making excuses. We dress it up in spiritual language at time or justify it by explaining all the problems in the way. I know because I’ve done it myself. We hear the promises of God, and we get excited over them, but we fail to act on them as we “wait on God.” Instead of becoming participants, we grow content being a spectator admiring what God promised from afar. That what happened to an entire generation who left Egypt. They were excited about the Promised Land, but let fear keep them in the wilderness. It takes courage to act in faith and possess the land. It takes action and faith to move when others are content to stand still. Caleb is a great example of this and it’s why God allowed him to enter the land.
Caleb was 80 years old when they entered they crossed the Jordan. He had waited 40 years to see it again. He could have used the excuse that he was too old to possess it. He could have said his time had passed, but he didn’t. He took up his sword and fought for what God had promised. At 85 years old he said in Joshua 14:12, “So give me the hill country that the Lord promised me. You will remember that as scouts we found the descendants of Anak living there in great, walled towns. But if the Lord is with me, I will drive them out of the land, just as the Lord said” (NLT). He wasn’t going to let walls, giants or anything stand between him and what God promised. He trusted the Lord to fulfill his promise once he began to act, and that’s exactly what happened.
In Joshua 18 there remained seven tribes who were holding back and still making excuses. Joshua asked, “How long are you going to wait before taking possession of the remaining land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, has given to you?” That question goes out to you and me. What promises have you been circling but not entering into? It’s time to lay down our fear, our excuses and our rationalizing. Like Caleb, by faith we must say, “Give me the land!” Quit looking at the walls, the giants and anything else standing in your way. Trust God to do what He promised, drive them out and take possession. The land won’t come to you. You must go get it!
Photo by Danka & Peter on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 