This week’s Daily Audio Bible reading has been in the book of Joshua (chapters 15-19) about the Promised Land being divided up among the 12 tribes of Israel.
What struck me as I was listening was how specifically detailed God was when it came to the exact borders of each piece of property.
As I listened, I don’t have any frame of reference for any of the boundaries being described (in very specific detail) … but obviously it mattered so much to God that He recorded it in His Word.
The details matter.
The details of our life matter to God.
If it meant that much, that God would be so detailed about the Israelites’ property boundaries, then for sure He cares about my own “property boundaries” in my life.
He cares about the actual physical property He has given us to live. For hubby and me, that would be our forested piece of property. God has given us this place to be our home and our “safe place.” God cares about every detail of this piece of property. This is His blessing to us … and He cares about it.
For you, that might be an apartment. God cares about that. He has given that to be your home and your “safe place.” God cares about your “property boundaries” … that is His blessing to you, and He cares about it.
But the land God gave the people of Israel wasn’t just about location, and physical borders and boundaries. The land was to be their livelihood. It was to be their income. It was to be their “job” and their “career” (so to speak).
In the same way, God has blessed each of us with “land” when it comes to our job and our career. Whatever job God has blessed you with … that is the “land” He has given to you. And He cares about it.
Will we like everything about our job? No.
The land which God gave to the people of Israel wasn’t perfect. There were obstacles and challenges! Every single tribe, no matter where their allotment of land was, faced pagan inhabitants which needed to be conquered and driven out!
God gave the people the blessing of the land … but it was up to them to manage that blessing. It was up to them to drive out the pagan inhabitants as God instructed.
Would God be with them to help them? Yes! But they needed to put in some effort and do some hard work.
The same thing is true when it comes to God’s blessings of “land” in our own lives. We look at the “land” which God has given us when it comes to our job and career. We don’t like our job. We don’t like our boss. We don’t like our co-workers. We don’t like the company policies and procedures. Etc. etc. etc. …
That job is God’s gift of “land” to you.
God has given you the “land” … but God won’t clear-cut your property for you. That’s up to you. What you do with the “land” is entirely up to you.
Or what about God’s blessing of relationships in our lives. That also is “land” which God has given to us as a gift. God has given us this relational “land” … but God won’t clear-cut our property for us. That’s up to us!
Claim the territory. Go put some effort into it!
What we make of our job is entirely up to us! What we do with our relationship “land” is entirely up to us! If we are not willing to put in the effort to do the hard work, then we will not receive the full blessings God intended for us to have.
In reading the account in Joshua, it is astonishing how many of the tribes did not take full possession of their gift of land … but instead allowed the pagan inhabitants to remain … to their own misery.
God has given each of us “land.” God has given us physical land. God has given us career “land.” God has given us relational “land.” What you do with it is entirely up to you. But it’s going to take work! It is going to take effort!
In today’s background photo you can see the physical property God has given hubby and me. As you can tell, it is not perfect. This particular corner of the forest is overrun with blackberry vines and briars. It is not pretty. This land is God’s gift to hubby and me … but it is going to require lots of hard work! … lots of sweat, an achy back, and sore muscles!
God has given you the “land” … but God won’t clear-cut your property for you.
