YET MUCH LAND TO BE POSSESSED

Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: "You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed. Josh 13:1 NKJV

Human traditions are not divine creation for they are largely built around what has been. One funny part to it is the habit of dwelling in the past and preferring former times to things yet be seen, done, or experienced – Lk. 5.39.

After experiencing the goodness of God for a while there is the tendency to be relaxed and not to be all out as it was at the beginning just as Israel had spent years in military expedition of the land of Canaan and now seemed to be relaxed. But God spoke: it is not time to relax yet. There are more awaiting us than the familiar, and more to be experienced than both the seen and the imagined. There are still very large areas of land to be taken over (NIV); to be conquered (NLT); or to be possessed.

Standing out of these verse are two distinct words: ‘land’ and ‘possess’. The word possess means ‘to have or own’, to take control of, to gain or seize, or by its sense in Latin, ‘to sit on as head’. The word land however stands in the text for an area, territory, or region that belongs to or inhabited by an individual or a people, or which they regard as their home or as possession.

The present territory fits into the current sphere of our experience; ability; provision; degree of influence. Each of these areas of our life does not constitute all that is to be, there is more to be possessed, taken, or conquered, just like God spoke to Joshua.

UNDERSTANDING DIVINE DIRECTION

Pro 16.9; Jer. 10.23-24; Jn. 10.1-5; Rom. 8.12-16

The subject of flourishing came up in Ps. 90.12. There the Psalmist made it clear that the righteous shall flourish, thrive, increase, prosper or do well. His assertion came in the same vein as the words of that has the implication that the righteous should be told that it shall be well with him – Isa. 3.10-11. That statement is simple for it connotes that flourishing is what the righteous does (naturally). The illustration with the palm is exact. The same way the palm flourishes irrespective of the weather is the way the righteous also does. We therefore need to consider the key or the reason why the righteous' life and experience is not conditioned by the environment or circumstances: we call it divine direction.

Divine direction is an experience everyone should have, for God created man to seek after him and to find him. There is a vacuum in man which God must fill. When God is not there, man experiences emptiness. This is also the reason why today even God’s people fall into all forms of error, just like the Israelites that learnt the way of the people around them instead of knowing the ways of God.

Man’s style is vain – useless, worthless, and inconsequential. Feeling a vacuum in them needing to be filled by God, they got involved in searches that is futile in all attempts. They grope around if possibly they might find God – Acts. 17.27. They grope in the noonday as in the dark. They could not find God, and so in effect they created what they felt was representative of God which actually wasn't. Every man walks in his (vain) way. Our inventions and discoveries are not sufficient to bring us to the point where we can be independent of the Lord. If what excites those who do not seek after God is what excites us, then what they fear would be what we would fear, their troubles and worries shall also be ours. To escape the crisis that accompanies ma's independence of God, we need to know that ...

THE WAY OF A MAN IS NOT IN HIMSELF

In Jer. 10.23 the prophet gave a profound revelation that the way of a man is not in himself. The word ‘way’ connotes the life we live; the work we do; and the path we follow with our life. This means the life I live does not belong to me (NIV): hence it is not to be directed; determined; or controlled by me (TEV). I am not the master of my own destiny. Jeremiah admits that punishment is appropriate for the man who attempts to go his own way. However, he does ask the Lord to correct, i.e. “to discipline” or “to instruct,” so that he might be in conformity to the word and will of God.

WE NEED TO BE LED OF GOD

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. This is one characteristic quality of all who are truly of God (born again). They are constantly and habitually led by the Spirit of God (Mt 7:20; Jn 13:35). As they consistently cultivate fellowship with God, they are prone to receive direction from him. In his earthly days Christ was dependent on the father’s direction. He did only what he saw the father doing, and spoke only what he heard the father saying – Jn. 5.17-19. No wonder he had the abiding presence of the father – Jn. 8.29.

In like manner God will lead us today like sheep. Our safety and security will come through this. He will not force us to do his will by driving us. He said, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). They are the ones who follow Him. They are led by the Spirit of God. They hear His voice because they have a new nature, and they follow Him. This direction comes to those who shall discover their need of it. It shall come to those who shall submit themselves to God for it. The voice of a stranger, he said they shall not follow.

It is my prayer that from now on in your life confusion shall give way to clarity; and that you will recognise and follow the voice of the father, not to be confused again about where to go; what to do; or by the strangers’ voice.