For those of you who have been in misery for a long time and have cried out to God, I believe this is the word for you: The Lord has seen the misery and have heard your cries. And this is the Lord’s promise: God will deliver and lead you out of the land of misery to a land flowing with milk and honey, seizing the promised land. It is a land of abundant spiritually and materially.
And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites (Exodus 3:7-8).
But for you to have and seizing the promised land there are some things you should understand:
1. The promised land is not received in passivity, but it must be seized with struggle and warfare.
This land was not a no-man’s-land. This land had been occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites and the Jebusites, who were descendants of the giants. Abundance will not come by itself, but must be fought. That’s why only people who are brave, willing to be trained to fight can enter the promised land. Lazy and whining people will not be able to enter it.
2. We will never be able to see clearly the promised land as long as the promises of God haven’t become a clarity in ourselves.
In Numbers 13 we are told about the 12 spies sent to explore the promised land, all acknowledged that the fruits of the land were good. Ten people said the enemies were enormous, could not be beaten, but Joshua and Caleb said they would be able to seize and beat them. Why could Joshua and Caleb see clearly that it was the promised land that they could surely seize? Because God’s promises had become clear in them.
Clarity begins from within. If the promises of God have been clearly seen within us, then we will be able to recognize our promised land with full confidence. If there is clarity within ourselves, then there will be clarity around us.
3. The extent to which the promises of God have become clear in us can be seen from the thoughts, words and responses that occur when we encounter difficult situations.
We can measure whether the promises of God have become clear or not in us, by paying attention to what the response that comes when facing difficult situations. If the response that comes are according to God’s promises, then it means the promise has become clear in us. Note the words of Joshua and Caleb:
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it (Numbers 13:30).
And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, which were of them that searched the land, rent their clothes: And they spake unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not (Numbers 14:6-9).
All their words were God’s promises, showing that only the promise that filled their heart, as Jesus said: “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” (Matt. 12:34). If the promises of God fill our hearts, then the responses, thoughts, and our words will release God’s promises as well.
4. If the promises of God have become clear within ourselves, then no matter how great the obstacles are, we will be able to conquer them.
The problem is not what is around us, but what lies within us. Victory and defeat are not determined by what is around us, but what lies within us. If God and His promises fill our hearts, no matter how great the obstacles are, we will be able to conquer them.
“If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.”
God has promised to accompany you in seizing the promised land, so begin to move!
Read also: Wise as Serpents and Harmless as Doves.
