Manasseh"s Lack of Faith (Josh. 17:1-18)

10/27/2009 8:48 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                        Focus:  Manasseh’s lack of faith 

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                        Reference: Joshua 17:1-18

 

          Message of the verses:  “14 ¶  Then the sons of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, "Why have you given me only one lot and one portion for an inheritance, since I am a numerous people whom the LORD has thus far blessed?" 15  Joshua said to them, "If you are a numerous people, go up to the forest and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the Rephaim, since the hill country of Ephraim is too narrow for you." 16  The sons of Joseph said, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the valley land have chariots of iron, both those who are in Beth-shean and its towns and those who are in the valley of Jezreel." 17  Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, saying, "You are a numerous people and have great power; you shall not have one lot only, 18  but the hill country shall be yours. For though it is a forest, you shall clear it, and to its farthest borders it shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, even though they have chariots of iron and though they are strong."

            I have gone over this in an earlier SD, but it is worth going over it again. 

            The first part of chapter seventeen tells the cities and also the boundaries of  the tribe of Joseph, that is Manasseh, but when you get to verses fourteen through eighteen the lack of faith is seen from the leaders of Manasseh.  The reason that the first generation was not permitted to go into the Promised Land was the report that was given to Moses by ten of the twelve tribes that the inhabitants were too large and they were too strong to conquer and now the same thing is reported here to Joshua by the leaders of the tribe of Joseph.  Joshua sets them straight and tells them that they will drive out the Canaanites even though the have chariots of iron and though they are strong.

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I too need to have the faith of Joshua and Caleb when it comes to the things that I need to do, and not let my IBS defeated me, but trust in the Lord to see me through these difficult times. The size of your problems depends on the size of your God.  The way for me to enlarge the size of God is to study and learn about Him and His attributes is the way to study about God.

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1. Trust the Lord to get me to the eye doctor today in spite of  IBS.
2. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
3. Trust the Lord to guide my path today.
4. Put on the spiritual armor in order to be strong in the Lord:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit.

 

10/27/2009 9:18 AM