God has given us a wonderful theme for 2012: Year of Possessing the Land. This is a wonderful, promise-filled word from the Lord. It is exciting to see that God wants us to possess the land that He has promised to us. He wants us to see and experience His salvation in our lives. He wants us to participate with Him in the process of possessing the land He has declared.
The theme verse for this season in our church is Joshua 1:3, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you….” I want to point out that God was telling Joshua that wherever he put his foot to receive God’s promised land, it was God that was giving it to him. In Joshua 1:4 God lays out the dimensions of the land. Every part of the land was available for them to possess. The question is, would Joshua and the people have faith in God to step out and put their foot on all that God had promised?
There are some great themes that we will be looking at this year as we focus on possessing our promised land.
- The dimension of our “Promised Land” is already laid out in God’s plan. It is called the Promise Land because God made a promise to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the children of Israel, Moses, and Joshua. God has promises that He has given to us. Remember them and write them down. (Josh. 1:4)
- God promised to be with Joshua and the children of Israel. He said that no one would be able to stand against him his entire life. A great promise for possessing the land. He will be with you as you pursue your promised land. He will not leave us or forsake us. (Josh. 1:5)
- God encouraged Joshua multiple times in chapter one that He would have to be strong and courageous in order to possess the land. He would have to believe and trust God and move ahead in faith as God led him through possessing the land. (Josh 1:6-9)
- The Lord told Joshua that his success would take place as he meditated on God’s word night and day and did everything that He directed. He would prosper as he did things God’s way. (Josh. 1:8)
- The Lord showed Joshua that the possession of the land would require everyone. He required the Ruebenites, Gadites, and half-tribe of Mannaseh to enter into the battle. God would not let them rest in the land He had already given them until everyone was able to enter into the rest that He was giving. Possessing our land will require everyone, great and small, to be active and participate. (Josh. 1:10-15)
- Even though God “gave” them the land, Joshua and the Israelites had to take it by force. They were required to fight battle after battle to posses the land. The great part is that God directed them in every battle and even went before them and sometimes drove the enemy out without a fight.
- We must work this year to possess our promised land. It will require listening to the Lord and doing what He asks us to do. It will require effort and spiritual warfare, but He will go before us and we will see His supernatural work on our behalf. (Josh. 6)
Keeping all this in mind, the Lord has given us three phrases to focus us in our pursuit of possessing the land:
Hearing His Word
Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised Moses. (Joshua 1:3)
Walking by Faith
Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses My servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. (Joshua 1:7)
Warring in the Spirit
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)
Hearing His word entails looking for and listening to the precious promises and direction the Lord gives us to possess the land. He will give us the Dimension and the Direction to take the land.
Walking by faith requires us to Observe His ways and Obey His commands. It is only as we walk in His ways that we will be able to completely possess the land He has promised.
Warring in the Spirit means that we will have to Fight for the land and Finish the battle. The children of Israel did not possess all of the land due to their unwillingness to fight some of the people in the land or allowing them to remain once they were conquered. God want us to fully possess the promised land.
I look forward to another year of serving the Lord and look forward with anticipation at what He will do. Arise, oh army of God, and possess the land that the Lord has promised us!
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