Prayer: Father, there is so much to learn about You, about Your Word, and about myself in relationship to You. I seek to be conformed to Your image. To love like You love, to forgive like You forgive, to apply mercy and grace where it is needed. Amen.
Reading: Joshua 17 key: vs. 1
“Now this was the allotment for the tribe of Manasseh, the firstborn of Joseph. To Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, since he was a man of war, he got Gilead and Bashan.” TLV
Attention: For those who are not aware, I am the firstborn son and the eldest child among my siblings. Being firstborn has its benefits and negatives. If you have never read Dr. Kevin Lehman’s book, Birth Order: Why you are the way you are, I would encourage you to read it. You will discover things about yourself and your family which are very insightful. There is a dynamic about the order of your birth.
We know from our focus on verse 1 that Manasseh was the “firstborn of Joseph”, and we know that he was a man of war. You will discover from Dr. Lehman’s book that first-born children are many of our leaders. Most of our presidents and astronauts have been firstborn. Firstborns are driven to succeed.
Manasseh, like King David, was a man of war. From the beginning of the campaign to take possession of the promised land till the point of allotment of land, appears to be about 5 years in process. I take that measurement from the life of Caleb who says he was 40 years old when sent out as a spy with Joshua. He is 85 in chapter 14:10. We know that the Hebrew nation was in the wilderness for forty years.
If you have followed past wars in which the USA has been involved, you know that there are ongoing skirmishes after the main part of the war. There are insurgents which are still within the confines of a city or state. It is nearly impossible to completely eliminate the enemy. The Hebrew nation was tasked with eliminating the enemy completely. It is said of both Ephraim and Manasseh, Ephraim “did not drive out the Canaanites that were living in Gezer” and Manasseh “did not utterly dispossess” the Canaanites in his land.
Neither brother accomplished Adonai’s desired will for them. Are we on task to complete or fulfill our God given design? If you do not know God’s will for your life, I encourage you to seek and find His will. There is much in Scripture about God’s will. Do a search on this theme and you will find several key passages. If you know God’s will, are you actively engaged in the process? It is a very empowering process to discover God’s design and assigned tasks for His kingdom.
Action: I choose today to actively find my place in God’s kingdom and then actively pursue it.
Yield: I give my life to Adonai to use for His good pleasure.
Engage: I choose today to engage with the Holy Spirit in a lifestyle of holiness.
Relationship: I choose today to embrace an intimate relationship with God.
Prayer: Father, there is nothing like being in the center of Your will and actively engaging in the process of becoming like You. Help me to pursue You all the days of my earthly life. Amen.
Memory Verse: Matthew 18:14
“Even so, it’s not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost.” TLV
Music Video: John Waller—While I’m Waiting https://youtu.be/i6X71sXagUY
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!”