Joshua 1:11 (KJV)
go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it.
Bible Commentary
Joshua 1:11 is an instruction by God to go in and take hold of our promised land. We may live in modern day times, but we have been promised a land flowing with milk and honey, a place where we can continually be at peace and live in strength and joy. But this isn’t a physical place. It is a spiritual place within each one of us.
If we have believed on Jesus Christ and asked Him to be Lord of our lives, we have the Holy Spirit within us (John 14:16). What an amazing gift of God! We can’t have a more intimate relationship than that! However, we must tap into this Power within us to possess the land the Lord has promised us.
In his 365 Day Devotional, “God is With You”, Max Lucado says, “Every level of inheritance requires a disinheritance from the Devil. Satan must be moved off before the saint can move in.” In other words, before we decide to go in and take possession of the land God promised us, we must recognize who the current tenant is–the devil–and then we can take back what is rightfully ours in Christ Jesus.
How?
Repent and Release
We must first recognize the areas of our lives where the devil is in control–where we are captive. The devil takes our weaknesses and uses them against us. Like the Covid-19 virus attacks our physical weaknesses, the devil attacks our weaknesses on the inside, where our thoughts, memories, emotions and desires live. His ultimate goal is to destroy us, particularly if we are a child of God.
We must ask for God’s help to show us the truth about the weaknesses of our heart, mind and emotions. Only He knows what is holding us captive. In order to get free from emotional entanglements, memories and consequences of pain from our past, we must first be healed in our hearts and minds. We receive healing when we see the truth of our sin and repent of it. Then comes release.
God requires an active participation on our part to get free from what holds us back (Philippians 2:12). It could be a fear of people, a resentful and unforgiving attitude, or a guilt complex from our childhood. The devil uses whatever false gods we have bowed down to as an open invitation to come in and reside. In other words, he is trespassing on our territory and we have unknowingly allowed it.
Well, no more!
It’s time to take back that which is ours in Christ Jesus. May we take courage and seek the Lord for whatever truth is in our heart. He longingly waits to heal us, so we can be free and live in the Promised Land He died to give us. It’s time.
go in to possess the land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it. Joshua 1:11
Amen!
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