Be Prepared for the Promise
Be Prepared for the Promise
A promise from God is a call to action
Now therefore, give me this hill country about which Adonai spoke on that day. For you heard on that day how the Anakim were there as well as great, fortified cities. Perhaps Adonai will be with me, and I will drive them out, just as Adonai has spoken.”
So Joshua blessed him, and he assigned Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as his portion. Therefore Hebron became the inheritance of Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he followed Adonai the God of Israel fully. Now the name of Hebron formerly was Kiriath-arba, for Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim. Then the land had rest from war. Joshua 14:12-15 (TLV)
God promised Caleb the land which he spied out and gave a truthful report on when he was forty years of age. He is now eighty-five years old and still as strong and vigorous as he was at forty. What has he been doing all those years? Wandering in the desert with the rest of the Israelite nation and fighting as the nation prosecuted the series of battles that God set before them to claim the promised land.
Promises Require Action, and Sometimes Battle
The notion that God would simply give the nation what had been promised them without any effort or sacrifice on their part is false. In promising them the land, what God actually promised is that He would be with them in battle, and that if they were faithful, the battle would be theirs. Caleb's action following the end of the conquests is a mirror image of the principle, now confirmed on a personal level.
When Caleb reminded Joshua of what he had been promised and staked his claim, Joshua was quick to honor the request. That did not mean the land Caleb claimed was simply given to him free and clear. Its occupants, the Anakim, were giants and descendants of Nephilim, so there would be a battle. This was no news to Caleb, however, as he had spied them out forty-five years before. We can surmise that throughout the time of wandering and conquest, Caleb had been planning how he would conquer the giants. He had prepared himself and God honored his preparation with His presence in the battle and with victory.
A Promise is the Beginning of Our Responsibility
God does not normally just hand us things on a silver platter. He can and sometimes does, of course, when He knows we are prepared and positioned to steward the blessing. Normally, however, He waits to see our preparation and willingness to steward the promise, as He did with Caleb. God's promise is to be with us in the matter, not to simply do it for us. We must honor God's promise with our heart, with preparation, and with action.
Be Willing to Contend in This World for What is Rightfully Yours in the Spiritual World
We must be invested in the endeavor by preparing ourselves to shepherd the promise even before it is delivered. Have you ever known someone who has received a promise from God for something and never done anything to prepare for it coming true or for stewarding it? What would happen if God did place it in their hands? Most likely it would be lost in one form or another, probably quickly. Why? Because they are not prepared and positioned to be successful in it. Conversely, we see repeatedly that when we honor God's promise in our heart and through preparation, He is faithful to deliver. Our earthly preparation builds Heavenly confidence and partnership.
If you have promises from God that you are still waiting upon, ask yourself what you have been doing to prepare for their reality. Have you acquired the knowledge it will require to be successful, identified obstacles and strategized solutions? Have you developed important relationships? Have you been gathering resources? Are your plans for the endeavor maturing?
God honors those who are invested through their faith and action. Be one who is prepared and expecting God to be as faithful to the promise as you have been.
Shalom