Look! The Lord your God has laid out the land before you. Go up and take it, just as the Lord, your ancestors’ God, has promised you. Don’t be afraid! Don’t be frightened! - Deuteronomy 1:21 (CEB)
I don’t know about you, but I like gifts. I enjoy giving good gifts to people and myself. I also like receiving gifts. God is a giver of good gifts (see James 1:17, Matthew 7:11). God gave the children of Israel the gift of Canaan, the Promise Land, to settle into after freeing them from slavery. However, Canaan wasn’t empty with vacant homes and no one living there. In order for the Israelites to possess the land that was rightfully theirs, they would have to drive out the people. Yes, they would have to fight for it. One of the paradoxes of the Christian life is that God’s gifts require labor on our part (Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day by Day).
The mere fact that God told you He was going to do something does not mean that you won’t have to do any work for it. God promised you this marriage, and every day you have to put in the work to sustain it. For those who are still awaiting their spouse (heeeyy boo!) we have to put in the work on ourselves so we can love ourselves and position ourselves for that spouse. God promised you that business, but you have to establish the business entity, create a business plan, find office space, get a website, open banking accounts, and so forth for the business. God promised to bless you with that job, but you still have to complete the application, interview, and go through the process. God promised you peace, joy, and healing but it requires you to address the root of your inner issues, confront the hurt and pain of your past, and to forgive those who hurt or disappointed you.
The great Oprah Winfrey said it best in the movie Color Purple, when she states, “All my life I had to fight.” Make no mistake; some of God’s blessings do not come without a fight. Jacob wrestled with an angel all night, dislocated his hip in the process, and still said, “I won’t let you go until you bless me” (Genesis 32:26). Jacob had some fight in him… so much fight that he refused to stop until he was blessed. As a result, immediately Jacob’s name (meaning trickster) was changed to Israel (meaning God struggles or one who struggles with God) (Genesis 32:27-28). I’ve never understood fighting just for the sake of fighting. If I’m going to fight, I’m going to be like Israel and walk away with something purposeful and God led…a blessing.
God desires that we possess all He has for us, but we have a part to play. You know that God gave the Israelites the land of Canaan and they would have to fight for it, but did I mention that some of the people who lived in Canaan were giants? Yes, some of the promises God gives you will require you to fight the giants in your life to receive them…giants of insecurity, doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, depression, selfishness, anger, resentment, unforgiveness, control, pride, family opinions, criticism, and so forth. The good thing is that God reminded the Israelites constantly that Canaan was already theirs, and they would not be fighting along because He was with them. In other words, it was a fixed fight and victory was theirs for the taking. Likewise, with God on our side, we can win any battle or fight He leads us to.
Now I’m not advocating for stealing other people’s property. I am not down with OPP (lol). This message is not to encourage you to fight to get someone else’s spouse, home, car, life, or job position talking about "this is mine in Jesus' name." God doesn’t work like that boo… so, calm down before you get too excited. I’m referring to fighting for promises God has made to you about what He has for you.
It’s important to know that this fight has nothing to do with how you feel. It has everything to do with obedience based on what God has promised you, told you, and given you. God promises are not based on what we feel or think, but they are based on His Word. Contrary to what some “church people” may say fighting for the things of God does not come naturally. That’s why I can binge-watch an entire series on Netflix for hours (and I mean hours), and the moment I open my Bible I start to doze off in 15 minutes. I have to fight and discipline myself daily to read the Bible, pray, and spend time with God, all while trying to avoid distractions. I don’t do those things because I feel like doing them all the time. I do it because I made the decision that I want to experience God in a new way, and want ALL He has for me. Sometimes I don’t feel like writing and posting in Purpose-N-Promises, but I do because I want YOU to receive ALL that God has for YOU. My obedience to God and His will for this blog outweigh my feelings. This type of fight requires obedience, discipline, and trust that God will do what He says He will do, in spite of how we feel.
So, in the lovely words of the gospel duo Mary Mary, go get your blessing!
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