Day Nineteen
And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, until the LORD has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the LORD your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
Sometimes God will ask us to help others fight and possess their land, just as we are getting ready to settle down in our own!
It can be frustrating helping someone else fulfill his or her promise when you are still waiting to settle in yours. It’s easy to feel like “When is it my turn?” “I’m always the last to get what I need from God” “It’s time for me to focus on myself” We’ve all been there, and yet in today’s passage is a great example that helping and fighting for others actually secures your own promise in the end. The tribes of Rueben, Gad and Manasseh didn’t realize it, but the enemy they were defeating could have easily crossed the Jordan and threatened their future, had they not wiped them out. By fighting the battles with, and for someone else, they were learning what it would take to defend their own territory from an attack in the future.
They had previously made a pact with Moses and God saying, “we are willing to help you even though we will not end up living where you do”
Just because your promise looks different from someone else’s doesn’t mean you shouldn’t help him or her obtain theirs.
The promises we make with God are not disposable, according to the circumstances we are now facing. At the time we are striking a ‘deal’ it’s like, “yeah, God, I’m all in!” Then as our circumstances change, our promise becomes easy to discount. “I already have my land, I’m busy getting established and building, why should I help you?” Even though you may be resting, don’t make light of people who are still fighting. We are all part of the same body. Who do you need to encourage today, stand alongside and help win a victory against a giant they are facing? By encouraging them you are sowing into your own victory.
Blessings,
Jane Evans