INHERITANCE

In Him also we have obtained an INHERITANCE, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will – Ephesians 1:11

Possessing your possessions refers to laying hold on your INHERITANCE! It seems incredible that in a world where so many people are struggling, States and companies regularly publish notices of unclaimed properties and dividends! There are countless numbers of people who fail to lay hold of their inheritance in the natural realm. Not surprisingly, the same thing is true spiritually. God has promised us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Eph.1:3). Yet, few are actually living lives marked by spiritual blessings. The Israelites took forty years to make an eleven-day journey into Canaan (Dt.1:2). Similarly, many of us Christians need to take the steps to correct our complaining attitudes and the character flaws that keep us in our own personal wilderness. Moses did not enter the Promised Land because of his sin; he only saw it. But Joshua led the Israelites in to Canaan, allotted land to all the tribes, and was buried there himself, on his own land!

Let’s meditate on Two Keys that show us how Israel took possession of an inheritance that was already theirs, and how we can possess ours:

Consecration:  Before we can lay hold of things in the spiritual realm, we must dedicate ourselves to the Father of our spirits; the only one who can truly bless us. At Gilgal, the Lord told Joshua to have the Israelites circumcise their flesh as a sign that they belonged to God (Jos.5:1-8). Moses’ generation of Israelites had previously been circumcised, but because of their disobedience, they had all died in the wilderness. The children who had been born to them in the wilderness had not yet devoted themselves to God. So a second circumcision took place at Gilgal once Israel passed over into the Promised Land.

Today, we “circumcise” our hearts through salvation, as a sign and seal of our full commitment to God, which is seen by God and by the entire spiritual realm. We are “marked” in the spirit as God’s children and even the enemy knows who we are! We have “crossed over” out of the place of wilderness provision and living under a curse, and entered into a new kingdom, the Kingdom of God. We are now entitled to every blessing He promises us in Scripture, because He has cleansed us of all sin and made us righteous in Christ. As soon as the children of Israel consecrated themselves, the first blessing manifested: the wilderness provision of manna stopped, and they ate the fruit of the land of Canaan on that very first day!

Combat: the vital step most believers try to omit, and the main reason why many fail to take possession of what belongs to them. As soon as Israel entered the land, they faced opposition. City-by-city, they fought to claim their territories. They began awkwardly at first, hearing God, yet making mistakes. A theft of cursed items and the subsequent covering-up of this sin caused them to lose a battle against Ai (Joshua 7). Later, Israel was deceived by the inhabitants of Gibeon, who tricked them into making an alliance when the Gibeonites should have been destroyed (Joshua 9). After these initial mishaps, Joshua’s armies became strong and virtually invincible, conquering every area until the land was under their full jurisdiction.

We are called to a different kind of warfare under our new covenant in Christ (2Cor.10:4). Our warfare is done in the spiritual realm, where, in prayer, we slay demonic thoughts and imaginations with the edge of the Sword of the Spirit – the Word of God (Eph.6:17-18). Prayer is our partnership with God’s Mighty Power. God wields His mighty Sword and cuts through the red tape that has been blocking our inheritance. With His Presence, we are guaranteed to win! Beloved, join me in “giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light” (Col.1:12). For there is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1Pet.1:4).