Right now we are unearthing principles for securing the promises of God in our lives by scanning the Book of Joshua. The Promise Land or Canaan is a type or shadow of our salvation in Christ. Having been released from Egypt (sin and bondage), the nation of Israel crossed through the Red Sea (baptism) and finally entered the land that had been promised to Abraham and his descendants under the leadership of Joshua. Within the land, they were to find their rest, their provision, and their destiny. The promises of God waited for them to enter and take possession of the land. Faith, obedience, and battles would be the keys to possessing those promises.
Another key to possessing the promises of God that is clear in the beginning chapters of Joshua is that no person can succeed in facing the enemy and entering into God’s promises alone. Too many believers don’t understand that there is strategic opposition to their quest for the promises of God in the spiritual realm. We have an active enemy that works tirelessly to keep us from taking back the territory of blessings, love, relationships, and destiny that he has stolen from us. Because of the opposition we cannot fight our battles alone.
The nation of Israel crossed the Jordon together. The nation fought their battles together. The nation celebrated victories and shared in the spoils of war together. As Americans, we are enamored with the idea of rugged individualism and self-sufficiency. That is such a core value that many of us find it hard to ask for help when we are facing a challenge. Even in our spiritual lives we think we should be able to go it alone. Although the New Testament teaches that we are all parts of the same body and are created to be interdependent on one another, we still tend to view the church as a group of individuals who go their own way, answer to no one, and who live a life unaffected by the actions of others. That is not a Biblical view.
I grew up in what therapists call a disengagedfamily. We lived under the same roof, ate meals together, and shared household chores but were never really involved in each other’s lives. We didn’t have family devotionals or family game nights. We each did our own thing and rarely knew what other family members were facing or going through on a day-to-day basis. We were very private and didn’t share our hearts with one another about anything. We may have told our friends, but not our family. Many believers function that way with their church families. Other than church services and occasional service projects, they are disengaged. By the way, that is called a dysfunctionalfamily.
We need spiritual family around us who know us (yes…even the yucky stuff), encourage us, pray for us, fight our battles with us, and sometimes rescue us. Christianity is not personal. It is relational. You will not be able to cross the Jordan alone and win your battles against the enemy without being close to other believers who will stand with you when the battle rages. If you have not found those people, then ask the Lord to connect you with some authentic believers to do life with you. You will not and cannot fully enter your Promise Land without them.
