God’s Promised Inheritance
May 4, 2022·Craig Squire
Joshua 13-24
Have you ever opened your Bible to your daily devotional, looking for inspiration, and found your reading filled with long lists of unpronounceable Hebrew names and places? OK, let’s be honest. If you’ve been reading this week’s Pause plan, that’s exactly what you‘ve encountered, starting in Joshua 13. You may even ask yourself, “Why did God put these chapters in the Bible?” and “Why is Pastor Tim asking me to read this?”
In Joshua 13-17, God assigns land to each of the tribes of Israel, with specific dimensions and boundaries. This land is pledged by God to real people, real cities, and real locations. Each subsequent generation of Israelites saw this section of the Bible as vitally important to them, for it documented their inheritance given to them by God.
So, whenever you come to a passage in the Old Testament with a long list of names, don’t try to pronounce every single name correctly. Instead, focus on the main point of the passage and think about what it meant to the Israelites at the time, and what it meant to subsequent generations. Then, ask God how it may apply to you today.
If God cared enough to detail the inheritance for each of the tribes of Israel, ask yourself, “Does God have an inheritance for me? Does He have a plan and a destiny for my life?” Ask Him.
You may already have a promise that God has given you, and you have been holding onto it for a long time. Maybe it’s the salvation of someone close to you. Maybe it’s for a job, a house, or for marriage or children. Maybe it’s for healing. And, just as the Israelites had to drive out people and to occupy the Promised Land, there may be struggles ahead for you to gain the promise that God has given you.
But here’s the good news:
“But you are to cling to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. For the Lord has driven out great and strong nations from before you; and as for you, no one has stood before you to this day… for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised” (Joshua 23:8-10).
No matter your struggles, God will fight for you. He will bring you to your inheritance and to your destiny, and “He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). After all, He put them there.
Be strong and courageous, in Him.
Craig Squire
