The Conclusion Of The Matter

“⁴³ So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. ⁴⁴ And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors. None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies. ⁴⁵Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true.”

– Joshua 21 : 43 - 45

As I read this paragraph in my bible this morning, each sentence seemed to just hit me, and thoughts started to flood my mind. Feeling like I just had to share what I was experiencing, I sent it to a few friends. Even as I did so, I knew I could not replicate the revelations I’d caught in my spirit in theirs, and I’d have to trust God for tailor-made revelations for each person, but something in those verses kept resonating with me, causing me to attempt to write this piece – and yet knowing that it’s almost impossible for me to put in words what I’m trying to get across.

Everyone around me at the moment seems to be going through some sort of transition and for a lot of us, this has involved a stepping into unfamiliar territories, finding ourselves in peculiar circumstances and having to do some things that we’ve never done before. While the process has been lengthier for some than it’s been for others, the general sense is that everyone has been going through somewhat of a process of their own for a while... much like the Israelites.

A summary of the Israelites’ story (as most will be familiar with) is that for some unknown reason, one day, God chose a man named Abram (whose name was eventually changed to Abraham), and made him a promise; one which included a gift of a vast piece of land (which incidentally belonged to some other clans at the time), to him and his offspring. Two generations later, Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) was born and became the seed from whom the entire nation of Israel came forth.

Much time went by and at some point, the Israelites found themselves as slaves in Egypt. The promise of a land of their own must have felt like a remote dream to them at the time, but as God is faithful, He never forgot His promise and when He decided it was the right time, He brought them out of slavery with a strong hand and mighty displays of power.

At this point, one would have thought that it would be a straightforward transfer from slavery to the so-called ‘promised land’, but God took them through a process in the wilderness that meant that what could have been an 11-day journey, became a 40-year adventure...and having done all that, the Israelites finally came into the fulfilment of a promise that had been made very many years ago to a man called Abram.

And so we come to the point in the Israelites’ story where many of us in our own stories, going through our own processes, long to get to...

“So the Lord gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors”

I just want to reiterate at this point that God is faithful. He always does what He says He will do. The question is, what has God sworn to you? Do you even know? Whatever it is that He has promised, resolve to be unwavering in your belief that you will see it come to pass.

“and they took possession of it and settled there”

This sentence is very instructive. THEY took possession of the land and THEY settled there. There is a human element to the fulfilment of God’s promises in our lives. What has God promised you? What do you need to do (and/or keep doing) to line yourself up with your expectation while you are going through the process? What is it that requires your diligence? Always remember this phrase: Constant and steady application. Do not be a quitter. Do not get complacent. Never stop believing and be prepared to do what it takes to get to where you want to be.

“And the Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had solemnly promised their ancestors”

There is a promise of rest for every believer. Incidentally, if you are yet to make your peace with God, now’s a great time to do so. We as a generation continue to progress into times when it is critical to have an authentic relationship with the only true God. If you’re baffled by the ‘natural disasters’, economic crises and general unrest going on around the world right now, wait till you see what is yet to come. There is a place prepared by God for His people, where much like Jesus in Mark 4, we will be asleep in the storms, because we will carry a peace within us that guarantees victory in every situation. Do I think that a time will come when we will have no challenges? No, not while we’re on this earth. The ever-existence of challenges is scriptural. But do I believe that the mountains we face today will someday be levelled before us? Absolutely! The cycle of challenges and victories will be continuous (and indeed, how boring would life be without them!), but somewhere in the midst of all it, God will grant us supernatural rest.

“None of their enemies could stand against them, for the Lord helped them conquer all their enemies”

I wish I could etch this on the hearts of every believer! The battle is actually the Lord’s. We only win because He helps us conquer our enemies. What this means is that if you don’t have the Lord on your side you essentially undermine yourself. Your enemies are only unable to stand against you because of Him. On your own, you are powerless (or as my spiritual father likes to put it, you are shish-kebab!). Now is not the time to compromise in deeds, thoughts or words; The right thing is always the right thing to do. God is at the moment cleaning house and a lot of things that have been previously hidden are being brought to light. Get your own house in order, so you can stand boldly as you face up to your enemies.

^”Not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled; everything he had spoken came true”

And this is the conclusion. Nothing. Not a single good thing that God has promised you and I will be left unfulfilled. That’s a comforting thought. Everything He has spoken will come true... EVERYTHING.

God bless and keep you all!