Daily Devotion: Statesmanly Encouragement

📜📜TEXT:JOSHUA 17:8-18📜📜

🔑📖KEY VERSE: “And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power: thou shalt not have one lot only” (JOSHUA 17:17).

The children of Joseph consisting of the house of Manasseh and Ephraim were strong-minded, enterprising as well as valiant men of war.

Joshua referred to them as great people with great power who were uninhibited and having enormous strength to conquer and possess as much land as they desired. Joshua’s assessment and encouragement of this tribe to go for more of the Promised Land is commendable.

This shows that the leader and statesman knew God’s plan for the children of Israel concerning the land of Canaan and would want all the tribes to secure and control as much of the land as God and their strength would permit.

It is God that gives us power to possess wealth. We must shun laxity and a false sense of satisfaction. We must not be like Esau who told Jacob his brother that he had enough when in fact he was truly poor of grace, truth, love, forgiveness and other virtues that endear one to God.

Like Joshua, we must urge and encourage fellow believers to reach out to greater heights in their spiritual and secular pursuits. The Spirit of Christ dwelling in us conquers and dominates. He has assured us as conquering champions that all things are ours by the mention of His name.

But as the Lord equips us, He expects us to deploy our energies more for spiritual goals such as going the length and breath of the world to fulfil the demands of the Great Commission. We must conquer every soul for our Redeemer.

✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Christ in us makes us great people equipped to accomplish exploits.

📜📜THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: ACTS 7-8📜📜