What are you waiting for?
Joshua 18:2, “There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. 3 So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, “How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?”
For forty years the children of Israel had followed Moses through the wilderness on their way to God’s Promised Land. The entire time they complained against God and Moses. After all that time they had finally reached their destination; they were now in the land that God had promised; when they got in the land they just stood around looking. Joshua, the leader that God had appointed, probably thought to himself, What are they doing?
They were like children on Christmas morning that looked at all their presents in the wrapping, but wouldn’t open anything. They know everything in the boxes belongs to them, and they know that they will get a lot of joy when they open the boxes, but for some unexplainable reason they just stand there looking. Could you imagine a child like that? I can’t! When I was a child, five minutes after me and my brother’s got up the living room looked like a disaster area with torn paper and boxes because we knew that everything in the boxes belonged to us, but not until we took it out of the wrapper.
I imagine that there are a lot of pastor’s who feel like Joshua did as he watched the Israelites. I can just imagine him looking around with a bewildered look on His face while most of the Israelites stood there with their thumb in their mouth.
As Christians we have been given everything because of what God did for us through the shed blood of Jesus, but the majority of Christians stand around looking at all the pretty colors; and they never open the gifts God gave them. I’m not talking about a “name it/claim it religion”, but I am saying that God has given us gifts, and we will never realize the fulness of His grace until we take possession of what He has given.
Jesus reminds us that it delights God to give His children their wishes, John 11:11, “Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish ; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?12″Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?13″If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”
God has given us everything we will ever want or need through His Son, but many times we are like the children of Israel. We just stand around instead of going in and taking ownership of our gifts.
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Father God, I thank You for giving me all gifts through Your Son, and I ask that You remind me through Him I have gifts on earth and a possession in Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, Amen
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The image above can be found at:http://elektronistamag.com/design/a-christmas-present-for-you/
Yes, You Can Ministry 