Jim Gallagher

Numbers 34:2
“Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its boundaries.”

Israel stood on the brink of entering the promised land. For almost five hundred years the people had heard stories of the land of their fathers. They referred to it as the land of milk and honey, and longed to settle down and enjoy its fruits. Before entering in, Moses reminded them of how vast the land was; He spoke of its borders from the far northern hills to the southern dessert and from the Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea. The land represented the abundant life God desired for His people to walk in, but before they could enjoy any of it, they had to be willing to do battle. The land was given as a promise, but received through continuous warfare.

The Christian life is a lot like that. We have been given great and precious promises that result in a life that surpasses any and all circumstances. We are promised peace that passes understanding, joy unspeakable, love shed abroad in our hearts, power to overcome sin and fear, and a life filled with the fruit of righteousness. We are told we can have a marriage that honors God, testifies to others, and blesses us. We are told we can have children who will rise up and call us blessed, and that we can leave a righteous heritage behind for them to follow. We are told, our lives can be a witness to others so they can see our good works, glorify our Father in heaven, and be drawn into a relationship with Christ. The promises of God are almost innumerable, but just as the promise given to Israel, much of these are only received through continuous warfare. If we are going to walk in the abundant life God has promised, we must be willing to fight for it.

This fight is not against others, but against the desires we have within ourselves for things that God forbids. Some of the attacks are continuous. There are certain easily besetting sins we must always be aware of and resist. Other attacks seem to come from no where. We are suddenly and unexpectedly hit with fear, depression, guilt, unworthiness, or some other intense emotion that tells us to flee from the battle and cower like Gideon in his cave. If we are going to win the battle and walk in the promises of God we must fight. We must learn to counterattack the enemies of faith with the promises of God.

Whatever you are facing today, take some time to dwell on the love, grace, mercy and power of God. Don’t look your enemy straight in the eyes, but look at him through the glorious promises and power of the God who loves you and died for you.

Until we all taste the sweet victory of walking in abundant life,

Pastor Jim