Joshua 17:14-16 (NLT)
“The descendants of Joseph came to Joshua and asked, “Why have you given us only one portion of land as our homeland when the Lord has blessed us with so many people?” Joshua replied, “If there are so many of you, and if the hill country of Ephraim is not large enough for you, clear out land for yourselves in the forest where the Perizzites and Rephaites live.” The descendants of Joseph responded, “It’s true that the hill country is not large enough for us. But all the Canaanites in the lowlands have iron chariots, both those in Beth-shan and its surrounding settlements and those in the valley of Jezreel. They are too strong for us.”
Periodically in life, you will notice that you get comfortable and lazy. You live in a cycle of boring routines and you find yourself in a rut. When you consider your circumstances, things are not the way they should be. Yet, you are not motivated to do anything about it. The most you do is complain about all the necessities that you are lacking. Sometimes we blame others for the predicament.
The children of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, were in such a situation. They had a sense of their potential and position. In this translation, they said they had so many people. The KJV says, “for we are a great people.” Yet, they had only received one lot. Simply put, they felt the land was too small for them. They deserved better. So they went to Joshua and complained.
Interestingly, they accurately assessed the conditions of their environment. There were enemies on every side. They felt these challenges were impossibilities because of the natural and structural advantages the enemies had. Fighting the enemy to get what they felt they deserved was not an option based on the realities. There were giants in the mountains and they lived in the woods and caves, making them impregnable. In the valley, they had iron chariots. They expected Joshua to expand their coasts based on the lands that were already conquered.
Beloved, are you in the same predicament? You feel you deserve more. You want to do more. Your assessment of yourself and your potential far outweigh your level of accomplishments. Are you frustrated and feeling left out? Are you angry and making demands on people based on what you feel you deserve? Are you ready for God’s answer? Let’s see what Joshua told these guys to do.
Joshua 17:17-18 (NLT)
“Then Joshua said to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the descendants of Joseph, Since you are so large and strong, you will be given more than one portion. The forests of the hill country will be yours as well. Clear as much of the land as you wish, and take possession of its farthest corners. And you will drive out the Canaanites from the valleys, too, even though they are strong and have iron chariots.”
What was Joshua telling this people? If you don’t like where you are, do something about it. You will have to face your fears, face the enemies that you feel are stronger than you, and rise to the occasion of who you say you are. To walk in the blessing you know God has for you, you must go out in faith, in the name of the Lord, to confront all your fears. You must do what you are afraid to do. Otherwise, you will live and die in frustration.
Like Joshua, I am telling you, beloved, that the land is yours. Though the enemy may seem too strong for you, God will give you the victory, if you have the stomach to fight. Don’t join those that go about throwing themselves around. They talk about how great they are with no evidence or sign even from God that their claim is remotely true. I call it the ‘exaggerated sense of self’. They refuse to submit to authority because they are some great one. Beloved, run from such attitudes. Roll up your sleeves and start your fight. You have to put up or shut up. May the Lord give you wisdom. Amen.
– Apostle Chika