Enter the Promise Land

Where are you? The Wilderness or the Promise Land

What is the wilderness?

The wilderness is that place of comfortable, routine daily living.  You’ve been set free from bondage and have entered eternal life (out of Egypt); in other words, you’re saved.  But, to be in the wilderness means to be out of God’s will for your life. The wilderness is easy, low-risk, low-rewards loving.  It means you’re going through the motions, maybe being religious, but not going through the growth process that the Lord wants for you.  In the wilderness there are times of testing and trials.  But there is no fruit until you step into the Promise Land, where God desires us to be, with Him!  To remain in the wilderness, all you have to do is go around and around, not really facing the giants in your life.  Being in the wilderness sometimes means wanting to go back to Egypt (slavery) when you can’t; and it means not going forward, when you could.  It means to be content with your salvation, and not really desiring to fight the fight.  It may be unbelief, fear, pride, or just keeping a mindset from the past—holding on to old behaviors.  Getting out of the wilderness only takes a step of faith.  We’re not alone.  God does go with us.  He says only, “Be strong and courageous.”  If you want to take hold of the promises that God has available to you, you have to step into the Promise Land.  And that means, going with Joshua—The Lord Saves—and facing the giants in your life.  The wilderness is a place of freedom, but not a place of promise.  This brings me to the Promise Land. 

What is the Promise Land?
The Promise Land is just that—land of God’s promises.  It does not symbolize heaven, because then we can say that Moses did not make it to heaven, and we know that he did.  It represents Abundant Life here on Earth.  Life with Jesus—in every moment that we offer ourselves in sweet surrender to His voice calling to us.  In the moment—moments when we face our giants—our fears—ourselves.  Whatever our strongholds are—our Jericho—that is where the Lord is going.  Joshua—Jesus—is headed straight for the things that have a strong hold on us.  That is what it means to be in the Promise Land.  And as God promised Joshua—if you are strong and courageous (relying on my strength alone)—you can face whatever trials you may come across.  And you will experience abundant life, unbelievable peace in the midst of turmoil or any circumstance.  God desires us to enter into His Holy Ground today—every day.  Here on Earth.  Not when we get to heaven, because that is where there are no trials.  That is when all is complete forever.  Right now though, we have the opportunity to walk through the promise land, where we are in the midst of our enemies, and fight alongside our Jesus.  The Promise Land is where we see huge fruit.  Huge!  This is where His Word is sweet as honey, and fruit is produced in our lives as we walk on the land God has given us. 

It’s amazing the parallels that are here!  God, thousands of years ago as you led Your people out of Egypt by the blood of the lamb, you delivered them, saved them, carried them through their rebellion, and they finally enter into the rest that You intended all along.  And while it looks a lot different from the Paradise that we will one day enter into, it’s still amazing to see what You offer Your people.  All of those things that the children of Israel went through, apply to our lives every day here!  You are awesome God!

Sometimes we see end results of people’s lives…like let’s say at a wedding, a funeral, or family…what we’re looking at and praise God for is not the promise land…it’s not an end result of any kind…it’s the fruit that is being cultivated in people’s lives.

We have to enter into God’s promise land…and eternal life…with the heart of a child.  God says to come to him like a child.  Children are always amazed by something.  They are easily excited and don’t struggle with unbelief.  They enter into rest because they know someone is taking care of them. 
Similar to a gold fish.  They swim around their bowl, and they don’t fret that they’re swimming around the bowl and see the same three objects over and over again because they don’t even realize it!  They are just excited each and every time, because they are living in the moment! That’s how I want to be….I want to be continually in awe of that treasure chest in my bowl!  Like a child.  Like a fish.  Don’t hold onto your adult, stubborn ways, thinking you have to have it all together.  All you have to do is live and trust in Your Father.  In that there is great joy and peace.

All of this is a description of Christian living here on Earth.  It’s not new.  There is nothing new under the sun.  But, it’s what I’ve been sensing from the Lord for awhile now.  I want to remain in the Promise Land.  I want to enter in, as soon as I find myself complacent and living a comfortable, mundane existence, I want to stop and look around and find out where I ignored the voice of God—the last place I was disobedient.  I need to surrender it up to Him.  And it all can happen in a twinkle of an eye.  I’d say I’ve been in a wilderness for about a year now, and I’ve been coming out of it for about a month or two. I’m allowing God to deal with me in areas I need to let go of.  I’ve been experiencing His rest.  Trusting Him to heal my hurts.  When I start to feel the urge to fight people and stick up for myself, I know that I’m going back to my old ways.  I’m in the Promise Land to stay.  I may try and go back to the wilderness at times because it’s so much easier there.  But I want the fruit.  I want to walk with Jesus.  I want to face the giants in my life.  Face my fears.  I want to grow and go where I haven’t gone before.