Room For Improvement
Scripture: Joshua 12-13:1-2, 6
"1 These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley...24 In all, thirty-one kings were defeated...13:1 When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered. 2 This is the territory that remains:...the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites...6 and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians.
Observations:
After Joshua and the Israelites successfully conquered the majority of the Promised Land (31 Kings in all) and began settling their families in the areas God had given them, the Scripture records all of their victories in succession as a testament to God's faithfulness and the people's obedience. It was no easy feat for such an inexperienced group of warriors to invade foreign soil and conquer such large areas with better equipped militaries in such a short amount of time. It was a supernatural work of God in their lives. However, soon after God recognized their successes, He moved their attention to the remaining groups of people that had yet to be conquered and driven from the Land. He was full aware of the fact that Israel would never be able to fully enjoy the benefits of the Promised Land until they had rest from their enemies. God would not stop leading them into battle until He had fully defeated all of their enemies (vs. 7). He even challenged the Israelites to go ahead and include all of the unconquered areas as part of their inheritance before they ever lifted a sword as an act of confidence in what God had promised.
Application:
No matter who we are or what stage of life we find ourselves in, there's always room for improvement. The fact that God has given us success in the past should always serve as a great reminder of the things He has done and give us faith in what He will do in the future. While we should always remember what God has done for us in the past, we should never allow our memories to exceed our vision for what lies ahead (Hebrews 12:1-2). We should never get to the place in our relationship with God where we feel like we have "arrived". Because we serve an infinite God, His purposes for our lives are big enough to last us a lifetime. We should never settle for most of what God wants for our lives simply because there will always be room for growth and develoment as we allow Him to continually change us into His image (Romans 8:29). Our focus and determination should be like that of the Apostle Paul, "I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No,...I have not achieved it [all yet], but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..." (Philippians 3:12-13).
Prayer:
Father, give us the kind of vision and determination that reminds us of who You have been in the past and challenges us to press into everything You have called us to be for Your Kingdom. Give us grace to grow in our relationship with You and the passion to pursue Your full purpose for our lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
"1 These are the kings east of the Jordan River who had been killed by the Israelites and whose land was taken. Their territory extended from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon and included all the land east of the Jordan Valley...24 In all, thirty-one kings were defeated...13:1 When Joshua was an old man, the Lord said to him, “You are growing old, and much land remains to be conquered. 2 This is the territory that remains:...the south also remains to be conquered. In the north, the following area has not yet been conquered: all the land of the Canaanites...6 and all the hill country from Lebanon to Misrephoth-maim, including all the land of the Sidonians.
Observations:
After Joshua and the Israelites successfully conquered the majority of the Promised Land (31 Kings in all) and began settling their families in the areas God had given them, the Scripture records all of their victories in succession as a testament to God's faithfulness and the people's obedience. It was no easy feat for such an inexperienced group of warriors to invade foreign soil and conquer such large areas with better equipped militaries in such a short amount of time. It was a supernatural work of God in their lives. However, soon after God recognized their successes, He moved their attention to the remaining groups of people that had yet to be conquered and driven from the Land. He was full aware of the fact that Israel would never be able to fully enjoy the benefits of the Promised Land until they had rest from their enemies. God would not stop leading them into battle until He had fully defeated all of their enemies (vs. 7). He even challenged the Israelites to go ahead and include all of the unconquered areas as part of their inheritance before they ever lifted a sword as an act of confidence in what God had promised.
Application:
No matter who we are or what stage of life we find ourselves in, there's always room for improvement. The fact that God has given us success in the past should always serve as a great reminder of the things He has done and give us faith in what He will do in the future. While we should always remember what God has done for us in the past, we should never allow our memories to exceed our vision for what lies ahead (Hebrews 12:1-2). We should never get to the place in our relationship with God where we feel like we have "arrived". Because we serve an infinite God, His purposes for our lives are big enough to last us a lifetime. We should never settle for most of what God wants for our lives simply because there will always be room for growth and develoment as we allow Him to continually change us into His image (Romans 8:29). Our focus and determination should be like that of the Apostle Paul, "I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No,...I have not achieved it [all yet], but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead..." (Philippians 3:12-13).
Prayer:
Father, give us the kind of vision and determination that reminds us of who You have been in the past and challenges us to press into everything You have called us to be for Your Kingdom. Give us grace to grow in our relationship with You and the passion to pursue Your full purpose for our lives. Amen.
Daily Bible Reading Plan
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