Joshua 16-18
Reading about the portions of land meted out to the several tribes of Israel as their inheritance from God can be a bit tedious. It's awesome that He would lead them to the promised land and offer this magnificent gift, but did you catch the part about them having to drive the inhabitants from their land before they could take possession? It's as if God is giving them a gift they have to earn. However, it's a bit more complicated than that. When God tells them they must overcome their enemies in order to receive their gift, it is not a matter of them accomplishing this through their own efforts. Rather, it is their believing that God will give them the victory. There is no question about the final outcome, because God cannot be defeated. Therefore, the gift comes through faith, and the faith comes through hearing God's word, followed by action, obeying God's word. Sounds a lot like James words to the church, where he proclaims that faith without works is dead. Some believe that to follow God's leading we must simply sit back and wait for Him to accomplish what's needed. All the while God is saying that we must make our own decisions, trusting that He will bless those decisions and work through us to bring about the fulfillment of His will.
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