POSSESSING YOUR PROMISED LAND

All of us have a “Promised Land” that we are striving to reach. Surely we yearn to get to the eternal Promised Land called Heaven. However, each of us has a unique and personal Promised Land that God wants us to possess on this side of glory.

In the Bible, Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun were only two of twelve spies who inherited land in Canaan. Numbers 14:24 says, “Because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it” (italics mine). Therefore, if we want to inherit our Promised Land, we must have “different spirit” as well. A different spirit will cause you to stand out from others and put you in position to be blessed. What does that entail? What are the characteristics that Caleb had which set him apart from the other spies?

1. He agreed with God. The Lord said to Moses, in Numbers 13:2, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.” God had promised He would give the land to the Israelites, but they did not believe Him. Caleb said in Numbers 13:30, “We should go up and take possession of the land.” Therefore, Caleb was in agreement with God. If you want to possess your Promised Land, you and God must be in agreement about what He says is yours in the future.
2. He had a positive attitude. In Numbers 13:30, Caleb said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” Now, that’s a positive attitude! Those with a “different spirit” have to be positive in spite of negative circumstances. They walk by faith and not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7). They have to have a “can-do” attitude that refuses to be denied.
3. He was fearless. Caleb said in Numbers 14:9, “And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” He had no fear. Why? Because he knew as long as the Lord was with them, they had nothing to fear. He had placed His confidence in Almighty God and was willing to take a risk.
4. He followed the Lord wholeheartedly. The definition of wholeheartedly is having complete sincerity and commitment. In other words, Caleb was “all in.” He did not waiver in his commitment to God, and He was willing to follow the Lord’s directions no matter what (Numbers 14:24) and thereby was able to possess his Promised Land. Remember, if you fail to wholeheartedly follow God’s instructions you, too, will run the risk of wandering in your own wilderness for years just as the Israelites did.

Do you want to possess your Promised Land? Then you too must have a different spirit. That means that you must be determined to be positive in spite of what you see in the natural. Furthermore, you must get in agreement with God’s Word, have faith, and speak the Word of out of your mouth regularly. Finally, a different spirit will require you to be fearless, follow God with your whole heart and refuse to be double-minded. Make up your mind to follow the Lord wherever He leads without question, knowing that only those with a different spirit will possess the land. Are you one of them?

 

How do you see having “different spirit” helping you to possess your Promised Land? Please share by leaving a comment below. 

I’d love your help spreading the word about my book, Oasis for My Soul: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual and Personal Growth Click here to find out ways you can help.

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RECEIVING THE GUIDANCE OF GOD

Know that your heavenly Father loves you dearly and wants to guide you in this life. In fact, He wants to guide you more than you want to be guided. However, if you want to be led by the Lord you must listen intently and follow His instructions.  Therefore, today I just want to put you in remembrance of some things.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, King Solomon writes, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways him, and he shall direct thy paths.” This is an awesome conditional promise of God. If we want His direction, we must remember that certain conditions have to be met:

1. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. That means that you trust Him with every area of your life. You trust that His character is impeccable and He has your best interests at heart. You trust that He is faithful and will keep His Word. You have no double-mindedness, trusting Him one minute and doubting Him the next. You must be firm in your belief that He can indeed be relied upon.
2. Lean not unto your own understanding. This requires that you admit to yourself you don’t know it all. He has a perspective on things that you don’t have, and your understanding is limited. You renounce self-sufficiency and make up in your mind that you will rely on His limitless, infinite understanding instead of your limited, finite understanding.
3. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. This means that you continually consult Him before you move out in any direction. You are submitted to Him consistently, not taking counsel with yourself and saying, “I’ve got this” on certain things, and on others, you may consult Him if you think about it. You must make acknowledging Him a habit as you daily seek His direction in your quiet time with Him and pray without ceasing throughout your day.

When you meet these conditions, God says He WILL direct your path. That is a promise. And be mindful of the fact that hearing the voice of God is a learning process. We have to move out on what we think we hear which may be in the form of an impression, a thought, a word of wisdom or knowledge given through a person, or circumstances which line up a certain way.  Right or wrong, you need to be moving for Him to be able to guide you. Isaiah 30:21 (NIV) says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.'” You must take God at His Word and believe that you hear Him and He will direct you as He promised. According to your faith be it unto you.

When you think about it, God is the best communicator in the world. If He knows you speak English, will He speak to you in Spanish?  Of course not! Is He not perfect in all of His ways? Therefore, He is able to communicate His instructions to you in a way that is clear because He wants you to hear Him. He wants to direct your path. He knows you inside and out and the best way to get you to hear and understand Him. The question is do you believe it? Are you listening? He wants to direct you into your destiny. Therefore, trust Him, lean on His understanding, and acknowledge Him in everything you do, and He will guide you safely to your destination, the fulfillment of the purpose for which He created you. And remember what God said to Joyce Meyer when she asked Him, “What if I miss You?” He replied, “If you miss Me, I’ll find you.”

What has God taught you about how to hear His voice? Please share by leaving a comment below. 

I’d love your help spreading the word about my book, Oasis for My Soul: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual and Personal Growth Click here to find out ways you can help.

Would you like to receive your FREE e-chapbook entitled, Your Faith Has Made You Whole: Poems and Inspirational Writings for Spiritual Transformation, by Tracey L. Moore? Go to www.traceylmoore.com and sign up to receive my bi-weekly newsletter via email.

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