YOUR TERRITORY- YOUR SECTION-YOUR SPHERE

YOUR TERRITORY­-YOUR SECTION- YOUR SPHERE OF INFLUENCE

Caleb Contrasted With The Tribe of Judah

Caleb was of the Tribe of Judah.  He along with Joshua was one of the only two adults from a previous generation to come into the promised land God had promised Abraham.  All others were under the age of 20 when Israel came close to the promised land and Moses sent 12 spies into the land. 

Ten spies came back with an evil report of giants in the land that caused the heart of the people to melt in fear.  Only Joshua and Caleb out of all of the adults believed.  This unbelief caused the nation of Israel to wander around in the desert until that evil generation died.  Then after Moses died and God made Joshua the new leader, they came into the promised land.

• Caleb was in the tribe of Judah and was given the land he chose.  He had to drive out enemies from that land in order to come into his full inheritance. 

• Caleb was over 80 years old and still had the same strength he had when he was a young man. 

• Caleb never gave up and he came into his full reward.

The rest of the tribe of Judah came into some of their inheritance but they never fully drove out all of the enemy!

Joshua 15:63 The people of Judah couldn't get rid of the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem. The Jebusites stayed put, living alongside the people of Judah. They are still living there in Jerusalem. (The Message)

What territory of our heart and life have we ceded? What have we accepted as our lot in life that is not all God envisioned for us?

What mountain have we been promised would move is still standing in our way? It's time to come into ALL the promises of God and to drive out every enemy in the power and authority God has given us! God is not the problem.

This passage doesn't say God couldn't defeat the enemy. No! It says the tribe of Judah couldn't! Apparently they didn't keep trying and relying! Apparently they settled for less! 

YOUR SECTION

Each person is responsible for their own heart and their own SECTION of territory! Caleb took care of ALL the enemies in his section even though he was in the tribe of Judah!

God gives each of us a dream, a vision, promises and plans! It's our responsibility to stay in the fight and keep pressing in for everything he's promised- even if 40 years go by!

If we have that steadfastness and determination we'll come into everything. Even if we stumble along the way like Joshua did in Chapter 7 of the book of Joshua, we are to get back up and keep moving. The plan hasn't changed as long as we keep looking forward.

Let's not look back- even if we fail!  Let's keep moving forward- Let's stay in the fight and let's drive out each and every enemy until we are able to say with Caleb that our children can have the upper AND lower streams of all God has given us! Amen!

Josh 15:13-19  Joshua gave Caleb son of Jephunneh a section among the people of Judah, according to God's command. He gave him Kiriath Arba, that is, Hebron. Arba was the ancestor of Anak.

14-15 Caleb drove out three Anakim from Hebron: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, all descendants of Anak. He marched up from there against the people of Debir. Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher.

16-17 Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife." Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife.
18-19 When she arrived she got him to ask for farmland from her father. As she dismounted from her donkey Caleb asked her, "What would you like?" She said, "Give me a marriage gift. You've given me desert land; Now give me pools of water!" And he gave her the upper and the lower pools. (The Message)

What's your section?  Have you seen everything God has promised you come to pass?  If not, keep pressing in! Keep believing! Keep fighting!  There will come a day when you'll look around and say, "This is what the Lord promised me!"  Not only that, you'll have something to give to those that come after you- maybe natural children, and maybe those you influence!  Whichever the case, you'll pass on a story of faith and a substance of all you believed for! Amen!

If my children (both natural and those I influence) can come to me and say, "Give me fertile ground, with streams of living water, then I've run my race and stayed my course well!" 

May we stay on course and run our race! The Lord is with us! Amen!