Joshua 14 The Inheritance West of the Jordan

Allotment of the land was to be completed for all the tribes of Israel, except the Levites. Two and a half tribes received allotments on the East side of the Jordan. The rest of the tribes were to receive their inheritance on the West side of the Jordan. The conquest was assured by the crushing blow of God upon the enemies under the leadership of Joshua. But now, each tribe is to fight for their own territory. I glean a few principles form this historic moment in Israel. Allotment is geographical. The allotted land is not paradise. There will be special allotments as special rewards to those who are faithful.

My life has a circle of influence that I must use in the establishment of God's kingdom upon the earth. I must learn to take responsibility for that circle to advance the cause of the kingdom. Each tribe was apportioned some land to be accountable for it. Even the local church, as an institution, should draw a circle around itself and define its circle of influence. Claim a territory for the glory of God. Not for the land itself, but for the people who live in it. Christ is our "Joshua" who conquered sin and death, but we have battles to fight in our "allotments" or circles of influence.

The inheritance given to the Israelites was not a return to the Garden of Eden or paradise. The allotted land is a place of conquest where they had to drive out the enemies remaining and be on guard to ensure that the enemy did not come back. My life is definitely at rest in Christ, but at the same time, in this "not yet" time in history, I am in the midst of a fierce battle against the powers of darkness. I am to claim my "territory" to make sure I drive out the enemies from my circle of influence and bring the power of the Gospel to bear upon it.

Caleb's life is an inspiration for me. He stands as an example of a life devoted to following God despite the circumstances, despite the people, despite the odds. He was one of the spies who was able to see God conquering the enemy to grant Israel the promised land. I want to be like Caleb. Because of his faithfulness, he was granted a country hill of his request as a special reward for all his work. God will grant special rewards to those who serve him faithfully. Even Caleb had to fight the Anakim (giants) to seize his reward. 

Lord, help me take responsibility for my circle of influence. May the local church take charge of its circle of influence as well. May I be like Caleb; faithful and fearless until the end.

Matthew 13:44-50 Some Kingdom Parables

At times, I question my motives for being in the kingdom of God. Some people have expressed to me from time to time that they are not so sure about heaven, but they fear hell. Am I in the kingdom out of fear of hell? I pray not. As I meditate on the Scriptures and see the many following Jesus for the food and for the healing. Am I following Jesus out of need? I hope not. People tend to follow the traditions they've been taught. Am I a Christian because of tradition? I should not. As important as tradition, need, and fear are, I don't want them to be the driving force for me to be in the kingdom. What should it be?

The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field that a man finds. In his joy, he sells everything he has and buys the field. I want to be like that man. The kingdom of God should be the joy of my life. A joy that deserves my selling everything I have to acquire it. The kingdom of God is not mere duty and drudgery, but great pleasure and happiness. Have I lost my first love - a time when the joy of the Lord was overwhelming and bubbling all over everything I did?

The kingdom of God is like a merchant in search of fine pearls who finds one of great value. The great value of the pearl moves him to sell everything he had to buy it. I want to be like that merchant who appreciates its value. Is there anything more valuable than the kingdom? Lord knows the search we are on trying to find something to fill our lives. The kingdom of God is no sacrifice. It is not a losing transaction, but a worthy one. We win out of this deal! Why do I set my eyes on earthly things and make them more important, even more useful than the kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is like a net thrown into the sea and gathers fish of every kind that are sorted as good and bad - evil and righteous. The good go into containers and the bad are thrown out. The Lord speaks of the final judgment and the reality of hell - a fiery furnace; a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. But my focus should not be on hell, but on the reward! The righteous will be gathered by the angels to be with the Lord. Who doesn't like a reward? I want to be in the kingdom because I'm looking forward to the reward just like Moses.

Lord, don't let fear, need, and tradition be the motivators of my following you. Fill my heart with joy. May your kingdom and its business be my joy. May I appreciate its value and never complain of sacrificing anything  to follow you. May I work in the kingdom looking forward to my reward.

Matthew 6:1-4 Giving to the Needy

"Beware" is a very strong imperative. It tells me there is a danger ahead that I must watch out for. It tells me that if I don't heed the warning I may suffer bad consequences. Who would wander into a property with a sign "Beware of dog" without checking out the dog first? At least, I would make sure the owner is present to control the dog or put it on a leash. I wouldn't feel safe otherwise. The sign warns me that there is a dog that might bite me.

When it comes to helping the needy, Jesus tells me that I must beware before opening that gate. Beware of doing so to be seen by others. The warning is against my motivation to help. What is my motivation when I help someone? To look good before other people so they would praise me and talk about how great I am? If I open the gate with that attitude, I will be in danger. I will be bitten by my selfish pride. A dog's bite is less harmful because when my pride bites, it bites like a snake injecting a venom that will kill me slowly but surely.

So, how can I avoid a bite from my pride? Jesus tells me that I must avoid making arrangements to parade my good deeds before others. I must make arrangements to ensure that it is secret. But Jesus goes further. He also gives me a new motivation for my good deeds: the reward of my Father. I must crave the reward of my Father more than the reward of people.

I must show off before my Father because I desire his reward above all other rewards.

I have been bitten a good number of times. Jesus has rescued me from every one when I confess my pride and ask for his forgiveness. Lord, give me a desire to crave my Father's reward more than any other reward when I perform good deeds. Help me to be compassionate towards those who are in need and seize the opportunities to exercise my righteousness before my Father. Help me to heed the warning to beware every time I set out to help someone.