Numbers 33:50-56 – “The Lord spoke to Moses in the rift valley plains of Moab along the Jordan, across from Jericho. He said: ⁵¹ “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, ⁵² you must drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images, all their molten images, and demolish their high places. ⁵³ You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it. ⁵⁴ You must divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families. To a larger group you must give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group you must give a smaller inheritance. Everyone’s inheritance must be in the place where his lot falls. You must inherit according to your ancestral tribes. ⁵⁵ But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, then those whom you allow to remain will be irritants in your eyes and thorns in your side, and will cause you trouble in the land where you will be living. ⁵⁶ And what I intended to do to them I will do to you.’”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was reminded of the process of possessing the promise.  In Numbers 33:51-53, God gave Moses specific instructions regarding Canaan – Their Place of Promise!  Their Inheritance.

He gave 4 directives: drive out, cleanse, dispossess, and possess.  Each is essential. In verse 53, He said, “You must dispossess the inhabitants of the land and live in it, for I have given you the land to possess it.”

Remember this: God’s Promises are often, if not always, occupied territory. What is it that hinders us from being who God wants us to be?  Is it pride, anger, jealousy, lust, covetousness, spiritual apathy, longings of the flesh, prayerlessness, or something else?  Those enemies must be dispossessed before we can become or manifest what we are to be.

Galatians 3:27-29 reveals a pathway to victory.   Baptized into Christ – do make that about water, but relationship.  Baptism is a type of death, burial, and resurrection.  We then clothe ourselves with Christ. We yield our entire being to Him.   Galatians 5:16-21 gives an answer to becoming.   

Living under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to resist the desires of the flesh. We can control our thoughts and actions! We become more than conquerors!

Galatians 6:7-10 is a powerful encouragement. Keep doing what is right, even when the flesh is throwing a hissy fit, and eventually it will pay off. Galatians 6:14-15 is the key.  Through the Cross, we are crucified to the world. We are New Creations with a new spiritual DNA and a clean slate. No past, only a new future!

Make it your purpose to drive out, cleanse, dispossess, and possess God’s Promise(s). It is your heritage, but it requires your commitment and involvement.

LORD, help us learn to dispossess so we can possess Your Promises!

Numbers 20:12 – “Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to show me as holy before the Israelites, therefore you will not bring this community into the land I have given them.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God today, I was challenged in my spirit.    I was led to reflect on God’s expectation and requirement from and for each of us.

The expectation of explicit obedience was not just for leaders (Moses and Aaron).  In Numbers 20:6-12, we have the instructions to speak to the rock and get water.   Moses let his flesh blind him to the requirement of explicit obedience!   His disobedience cost him the privilege and joy of possessing the promise – the land.  

His failure to explicitly obey was a revelation of a lack of trust (v 12), and that failure resulted in unfulfilled destiny.   God’s gifts and call are irrevocable, but fulfilling our destiny can be subverted by failure to obey explicitly.

Explicit obedience is not always, and maybe is never, easy!    Paul’s life was characterized by obedience (explicit).  He enjoyed extraordinary revelation and saw amazing miracles and demonstrations of God’s power.  That presented a danger that all face: pride and becoming puffed up.   As a preventative and a constant reminder of where his strength and grace lay, God permitted a messenger of satan to trouble him.  

In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul identified the reason and purpose of the pest.   “So, I would not become arrogant…” It was a reminder of his true source of strength.   He didn’t want it to remain and pleaded 3 times for deliverance.  But God opted to leave it as a reminder, “My grace is enough for you, My power is made perfect in (human) weakness.”  That brought Paul to the place where he could, in confidence and trust, say, “Whenever I am weak (in my human ability), then I am strong.”

Paul’s parting words to the Corinthian church are germane today!  2 Corinthians 13:11 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, REJOICE, set things right, be encouraged, agree with one another, live in peace, AND the God of Love and Peace will be with you.”   The result of God being with us is Peace, Power, Protection, and Provision.

An aside I heard in my spirit is from 2 Corinthians 11:14: “Deceivers Deceive!”   People follow deception because the deceivers offer a false hope that the deceived desperately want to be true.   The deceived ignore facts and believe illogical lies because they want the deception to be true.  That opens the door to placing trust in something other than God and to more deception. Beware!

Father, help us to obey explicitly all the time and every time!

Leviticus 22:20 – “You must not present anything (to God as an offering) that has a flaw.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, I was challenged by a thought that had resided in my heart for quite some time. “Only the Best.”

That statement is inconclusive and easily misconstrued without explanation. In Leviticus 22:20, we read, “You MUST NOT present anything (to God as an offering) that has a flaw.”   In verse 22, it is even more detailed. The thought and truth is, “Only the Best” is acceptable to God.   That includes us.

What we give or dedicate to God cannot be flawed.  Half-heartedness is a flawed offering.  Lackadaisical service is a flawed offering.  What we give God must be whole, complete, total, and pure! He accepts nothing less!

Often, I hear the lament that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are not manifested in life or in the church.  One reason is our failure to understand the purpose of the gifts and our failure to give God a pure vessel to use.

1 Corinthians 12:17 reveals the purpose of the manifestation and operation of the gifts – “for the benefit(development) of everyone.”  In 1 Corinthians 13, we have the platform for the operation of the gifts- LOVE!

I suggest reading 1 Corinthians 12:31 as an introduction to 1 Corinthians 13. Paul says, “Eagerly desire and seek the greater gifts.” Then he continues, “And NOW I will show you a way that is beyond comparison.” That leads to 1 Corinthians 13.

Do we want more of God’s manifestation in our lives and churches?   Love is the key and catalyst.  Love God.  Love others.  Love who God designed us to be.

It is impossible to consistently manifest and exhibit the characteristics of 1 Corinthians 13 through willpower.  Only a transformed heart will consistently manifest patience, kindness, lack of envy, or self-explanation. Only a transformed heart has the ability to consistently avoid rudeness, selfishness, anger, and resentment. Only the transformed consistently desire truth, justice, and endure the burdens of others. Maintaining an attitude of gratitude and hope!

1 Corinthians 14:1, the apostle reminds us of the power and need of this gift to God – Love!   In 1 Corinthians 16:14, we realize that the foundation of all we are and do is Love!

Love is not words, nor a feeling; it is action. It’s an attitude and commitment. It is purpose-driven, seeking the best good for God, others, and ourselves. Only the Best is acceptable! Give God your best, and He gives you His Best!

LORD, help us to offer you our best so we can receive your best!

1 Corinthians 10:1-6 – “For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, ² and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and all ate the same spiritual food, ⁴ and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they were all drinking from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. ⁵ But God was not pleased with most of them, for they were cut down in the wilderness. ⁶ These things happened as examples for us, so that we will not crave evil things as they did.”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, the word “Benefit” captured my thoughts.  That word was not found in my reading, but as a result of what I read.

In 1 Corinthians 10:4, we discover that the ‘Rock’ in the wilderness followed Israel, and the identity of that rock.  It was Christ!  Then, we read that the trials and judgments they experienced are recorded as an example for us.  A reminder of the Benefit and Necessity of Obedience!

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, we have the incredible promise (Benefit) that no matter the difficulty, God has inserted an exit door. We do not have to be overcome!

In the Communion ceremony (Lord’s Supper), there are multiple benefits for us to utilize and experience.   It is a visual reminder of the Benefit and Blessing of the Cross.  It provides an opportunity for us to do a self-evaluation or self-examination. It is a call to regard the Body of Christ carefully. The word means, “judging between, recognizing, distinguishing.” When we take Jesus’ teaching on interpersonal relationships and Paul’s revelation about the body, we realize that we open the door to evil when we do not embrace the strength of the unified body!

Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2:24 reveal the benefit of Healing in Christ’s suffering. Why not close the door to needless suffering? Becoming the realized body of Christ brings us strength, fellowship, freedom, and the ability to access God’s fullness.

The human body needs all its parts, cells, and nerves to function best. The Body of Christ needs no less. Imagine if the human body works in harmony and provides blessing; how much more the unified Body of Christ exhibits.

Let’s access the benefits of the Body! Shift focus from us to others!

1 Corinthians 4:6 – “I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn “not to go beyond what is written,” so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.”

As I read, prayed, and pondered the Word of God, the thought impressed upon my heart was “Pretense.”  That took me by surprise, but as I read in 1 Corinthians, it became powerfully clear.  I sensed and have been concerned that a significant number of those professing to be Christians are pretending!

I do not mean to come across as super spiritual and holier-than-thou, but I’m concerned that the deception about the acceptable has drawn people into a false sense of security where they (in truth) are pretending.  It is making a profession without the evidence in a demonstrated life.

I fear we sometimes misinterpret the message and go to extremes in both directions regarding tolerance and discernment. The Corinthians had an unbelievably horrific sin blatantly manifested by a member, and they boasted about their tolerance! Today, some go overboard in claiming to have discernment and rip everyone and everything! We deal with sin in the church with the singular motive to restore them.

Bill Gothard said, “What we allow in moderation, our children will do in excess.” We need to remember that although we can does not mean we should.

In 1 Corinthians 4:6, Paul warned us never to go beyond the written Revelation of God, but to ensure the scriptures are our guide! Your revelation that does not harmonize and align with the Word of God may be a seed of deception. Be careful.

Pretense may fool everyone around us, but the “fire” of God will test everything. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 makes it painfully clear that every action, testimony, word, and deed will be tested. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 gives a list of people who may claim to be Christians but won’t get in.

If we are born again, let’s pursue godliness with our entire being. Pretending to be right when our hearts know the truth is self-deception. Knowing the language won’t change the heart; only surrender to God will. Honesty with ourselves will enable us to be honest with God. Is our pride and ego worth missing heaven? I’d rather be shamed before people than stand before God and hear, “Depart, I never knew you.”

We must never allow the lie of hell to grip our lives, that once we professed Christ, what we do doesn’t matter. It does! Jesus’ call was for us to abide in Him, and for Him to abide in us. Fellowship cannot thrive in a state of pretense. You can’t fake it ’til you make it in God! It’s all in or not in. If we are lacking, run to Him, confess, and surrender everything to Him.

Lord, help us rid ourselves of all pretense and humbly submit to You. Holy Spirit, come now and shine Your light on us, expose the good and the bad, the pure and the rotten. In Your light let us become light! No more masks. No more pretense. No more deception.

Beware, pretense; it will destroy!