How can you be sure to inherit the promised land of God?
Transcript
[Darris McNeely] What does it take to enter the Promised Land? To enter God’s promises? To enter the Kingdom of God? It’s a very good question to ask at this time of year, during the Days of Unleavened Bread. I’ve been thinking a great deal about this, because when you look at the story in the Bible of Israel’s exodus from Egypt – a great deal of attention is given to that. But it was a forty-year period before they eventually entered the land. When you know the story well, the generation that left Egypt had to die off, and only a very small number of people who came out of Egypt, the children, lived to go into Egypt. And among them, the prominent names that we have from scripture are two by the name of Joshua and Caleb. These were two of the older generation who didn’t die, but lived to go into the Promised Land. Joshua led them in and Caleb was one of the leaders, as well, because they had had faith and confidence in God.
And there’s an interesting point of the story in Judges – Joshua chapter 14, where it says as it came time for them to go into the land and they did, that Caleb made this statement before Joshua and the others. He said, “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and I in Kadesh Barnea. I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the Lord my God” (Joshua 14:6-8). And Joshua was one of them with Caleb at that point.
He says, “I wholly followed the Lord my God”. Not only on that day, but for the entire forty-year period, Caleb and Joshua completely obeyed God and followed his way of life, and as a result, they entered into the land. They were still there. When it came time to part the waters of the Jordan and go in, they were still there.
What does it take to enter into the promises of God? To enter the Promised Land? To enter into the Kingdom of God? It takes an attitude like Caleb had. To wholly follow the Lord but to determine in your heart, “I’m still going to be there.” And to be there, to show up, and obey God, and to be faithful to the calling that He has given. To be able to say when it’s time to inherit those promises, “God, we’re still here.” That’s the attitude that these had, these two men had, and so do we. We must have that, as well.
Think about that as we come out of the Days of Unleavened Bread and get about our life of worship and faith with God.
