Take the Land

Good Morning,In Deuteronomy chapter 1, Israel is camped east of the Jordan River after 40 years of roaming.  It is time for them to take the land God had promised. It is a different group from the one that began a wandering in the wilderness four decades prior. Moses knows that people can easily be prone to make the same mistakes as those that have gone before. So, he gives them a bit of a history lesson.  It is a lesson we can learn from today.Their predecessors made some mistakes that we too can easily make in our journey.  It is quite a contrast between God’s calling and their response.God said, “I have sworn to give you this land.”  The people said, “Let’s look at the facts.”God said, “Move forward.” The people said, “The enemies there are strong.”God said, “I am with you so don’t be afraid.”  The people said, “The cities are large.”God said, “I will fight for you.” The people said, “There are giants in the land.”It is true that there were giants in the land. But God’s call for the people was to engage them.  God does not always clear out all opposition so we can move painlessly ahead.  He often uses obstacles to display His power through us. An entire generation of Israelites forfeited the opportunity to witness this.There are times in our journey when the obstacles to progress are formidable.  The path ahead is not always clear. If we focus on the barriers instead of God, who knows no barriers we will get stuck.  We will miss the victories in store for us.  We will settle for a life far too small, and that is a high price indeed.I love the wording of Deut. 1:6-7.  The Lord our God said to us at Horeb, “You have stayed long enough at this mountain. Break camp and advance…”  Then essentially in verse 8 God pointedly says to them, “There is the land.  Go take it.”I believe the call for us is the same today.  There are new lands to take, new roads to travel, new opportunities to put God on display through us, and new growth that will magnify the impact of our life on those around us. Isn’t that what you really want?  After all, the great thrill in living lies not in what you are pretty sure you can do, but in those things you are pretty sure you cannot do unless God shows up.How about you this morning?  “Have you stayed long enough on this mountain?”  If so, then break camp, advance and begin to take the land!Live this week on purpose,Ron Klopfenstein