Taking Possession of the Promised Land

To be reading in Deuteronomy and Galatians at the same time is truly a gift from God.

Today, in my gratitude journal, I wrote "Eyes to see." Until this day, I have not had eyes to see (Deut. 29:4).

For a number of years, I have been on the east side of the Jordan looking into the Promised Land. Having a glimpse here and there, a taste of what it will be like. Faithfully gathering manna at times, well fed. And at other times, starving myself to the point of near death. I sought to return to Egypt more times than I can count, and I fought many battles with the enemy who anticipates what is coming and who knows Who is on my side. I have been in the camp at times experiencing the blessing and presence of God. But I have also wandered in the wilderness, striking out on my own thinking that I had a better plan or way. Thankfully, by the grace of God, I kept coming back to camp, returning to the sanctuary.

As I have been reading Deuteronomy in recent days, I have been repeatedly impressed by the reality that Moses's commands require a diligence and purposefulness that I did not recognize before:

• Take care.
• Keep your soul diligently.
• Seek the Lord.
• Be careful.
• Fear God.
• You shall not go after other gods.
• Devote the enemy to complete destruction.
• Remember what God has done for you.
• Serve the Lord your God with all your heart and soul.
• Circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn.
• Destroy the places where other gods were served.
• Seek the place that the Lord your God will choose.
• Purge the evil from your midst.
• The Lord your God will fight for you against your enemies.
• Devote them to complete destruction.
• Disobedience is an abomination to the Lord.
• Be holy.
• Fulfill your vows to the Lord,
• Obey the voice of the Lord your God.
• Choose life.
• Hold fast to God.

God's standards and expectations of His children are extremely high. Rather than pursuing His standards, I pursued my own, which I thought were pretty lofty because I was comparing myself to others in the camp rather than to God and His Word. I was a much more faithful manna gatherer and offered many more sacrifices than those in neighboring tents. But I wasn't satisfied with my status in the camp. I wanted the land flowing with milk in honey.

For many years, I was helpless to cross over the Jordan.

I can't tell you exactly at what point I crossed over, but by the grace of God I believe it has happened. The crossing wasn't easy. The enemy met me at the shoreline and fought hard. At times, he nearly drove me back across, and a time or two, I nearly drowned. But the Lord my God went with me and fought for me to give me victory (Deut, 20:4).

More than once after crossing over, I looked at the nations around me and was tempted to follow after their gods. BUT I remembered what the Lord had done for me, and that motivated me to fight and not give up. Galatians 5 sums it up. Before crossing over, I allowed the desires of the flesh to take precedence over the desires of the Spirit. The two are always in opposition, and I have a choice. I often chose the desires of the Spirit, but the desires of the flesh were and still are especially strong in certain areas, and I often succumbed to them. I still do, but the fruit of the Spirit I see encourages me to continue to walk in the Spirit and to crucify the flesh. Paul uses the word "crucify" for a reason. It isn't easy. It requires effort and diligence on my part... Ah, Deuteronomy again.

I recently had a conversation with a sister in Christ who told me that she knew she probably shouldn't watch a particular movie, but that she was going to anyway. The desire of the flesh trumped the desire of the Spirit. She chose not to crucify her flesh. She chose to please herself rather than doing what she knew would be pleasing to God. She didn't take seriously His command to Be Holy and I am Holy (I Peter 1:16).

I share this with you because it is simple and obvious. Sometimes the choices are not so simple and not so obvious, and that has been my primary struggle in recent years. It is not inherently sinful to spend time online and to make things. However, if I am doing these things for the wrong reasons, and if I am neglecting other things I should be doing...no, that I must be doing, it is a desire of the flesh, which can become an idol, and it is sin.

Which brings me back to diligence, and the need to define what it means because like the Galatians, we can very easily equate diligence with legalism, and that will not do. This has been pitfall of mine. "Lord, I am doing this, and this, and this, so why isn't it going well for me?!" His answer:

• You are doing it that it may go well for you rather than to please me.
• You are doing it because you are afraid of what will happen if you don't.
• You are doing it for the praises of men.
• You are doing it because you desire success.
• You are doing it because you desire comfort above all else.

My motivation for doing the thing is the key. If it is directed by the Spirit, it is right. If it is directed by the flesh, it is wrong. Often, the challenge is knowing which is which, and the breakthrough comes when God gives you eyes to see the difference. This is called discernment. And where does one get discernment?

Take heart all the words by which I am warning you today, that you may commend them to your children, that they may be careful to do all the words of this law. For it is no empty word for you, but your very life, and by this word you shall live long in the land that you are going over the Jordan to posses. —Deut. 32:46-47

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. —John 6:63

Discernment comes from the Word of God.
More Word.
More Spirit.
More Life.

...the Promised Land.

Eat the manna. Apply the balm. Take possession.