Solomon said, “…as he thinks in his heart, SO IS HE.” (Prov. 23:7)
Moses sent men into Canaan to see what it was like before all the Israelites entered the land. “…they told Moses: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, (they brought a sample of a huge cluster of grapes) and this is its fruit.” (Num. 13:27) This was the report of two of the twelve who went, the other ten had a different report, “…they gave a bad report of the land saying, “…all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in OUR OWN SIGHT, and so we were IN THEIR SIGHT.” (Num. 13:32-33)
How much land did God promise Israel? “Your territory will reach from the Negev Desert all the way to Lebanon. The great Euphrates River will be to the east. The Mediterranean Sea will be to the west. Your territory will include all of the Hittite country. “Joshua, no one will be able to stand up against you as long as you live. I WILL BE WITH YOU, just as I was with Moses. I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU (a wonderful promise to hold on to today).” (Joshua 1:4-5) God gave to Israel everything from the Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (west to east). All of the land modern Israel currently possesses, plus all of the land of the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), plus some of Egypt and Syria, plus all of Jordan, plus some of Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Israel currently possesses only A FRACTION OF THE LAND God has promised.
Joshua and Caleb tried to persuade the people to take the land, “But all the congregation said to STONE THEM. Then the glory of the LORD appeared…” (Num. 14:10)
IT’S TIME FOR US TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE THE GREAT PROMISES AWAITING US. “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me WILL DO the same works I have done, and EVEN GREATER WORKS, because I am going to be with the Father.” (John 14:12)
-Bill Stockham