Look, the LORD your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the LORD God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be discouraged. Deuteronomy 1:21
One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that God’s gifts often require labor on our part. God brought the Israelites to the Promised Land and told them He was going to “give” it to them (Num. 13:2). The gift of the Promised Land sounded great to the Israelites until they realized that, with the gift, came battles against giants and fortified cities! Perhaps they assumed God was going to obliterate the inhabitants of the land before they entered. Ideally for the Israelites, they could then have entered a vacant land with houses and cities already built and ready to inhabit.
Instead, God said they would have to fight for it. They would not have to fight in their own strength, however; God would be present to fight for them. God would bring down the walls of cities, give them strategies to defeat their enemies, and empower their warriors to fight. The Israelites would have a divine advantage over anyone they fought, but they would still have to fight.
It would be wonderful if, when we become Christians, God would fill our minds with a complete knowledge of the Bible and with Bible verses already memorized. It would be easy if God would instill in us a delight in spending hours in prayer each day and a fearless desire to share our faith with others. But God doesn’t relate to us that way. Instead, He gives us the free gift of His salvation and then tells us to “work out” our salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12b). Are you discouraged because the Christian life is more difficult and challenging than you expected? Don’t be. God’s gifts to you are perfect because, through them, God makes you perfect as well (Matt. 5:48; James 1:17).
3 Comments
Yolanda Pitts
May 7
Yes, I am discouraged and a little depressed too, because the Christian
life is more difficult and challenging than I ever have expected.
However, thanks be to GOD, for the writers of this commentary in
teaching us the importance of GOD’S way of blessing us.💞
GOD’S way is the High Way!!!!!!💕
GOD is not just going to hand us a blessing, without us working for it.
We work for it, or achieve it by having FAITH in GOD!!!!!!! 💞
GOD is all about growing us up into the next level of FAITH in HIM!!!!!!!💞
So when we walk out on FAITH in GOD, and fight for our blessings, we are growing up in the physical world as well as the Spiritual world.
We are getting closer to GOD, and pleasing HIM, by walking out on FAITH.
This way GOD can accomplish much through us for the Glory of GOD!!!!!!💕
III John 1:2 KJV
Kenneth
May 8
Amen
JHONATAN TORRES
May 7
Hi brother. Thank you for the insight. This devotional is right in teaching that the Christian life requires effort, obedience, and perseverance. As Epistle to the Philippians 2:12 says: “…work out {develop, carry to full expression, put into practice} your own salvation with fear and trembling.” It is important to notice that Paul does not say “work for” your salvation, as if salvation had to be earned. He says “work out,” meaning to live out, develop, and bring to visible expression the salvation God has already given. This must be understood together with verse 13 so that we do not wrongly think God gives an initial salvation and then leaves it mainly up to our own effort to complete it.
Paul the Apostle immediately explains this by saying, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” This means that God not only saves by grace, but He also produces in believers both the desire and the ability to obey Him. The Christian life is not, “God gave you an opportunity; now finish it yourself.” Rather, it is, “God is already working in you; therefore, live it out.” Our effort does not create or sustain salvation; it is the result of God’s ongoing work within us. Believers grow progressively in holiness, though full perfection will only come in glorification. God has already begun His work in us, and our responsibility is to respond in obedience to the grace that is continually transforming us day by day.
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