Just East

On Sunday we were discussing inheritance and specifically looking at the inheritance of the 12 Tribes of Israel in the Promised Land. The beautiful thing about inheritances is that you don’t have to “work” for them. They are freely given. Israel did not work for the Promised Land….the Isrealites won their battles because the Lord was on their side. It was not by their strength, but by the Lord’s. One of the most interesting parts of the whole story was the land that the Tribes of Gad, Reuben and the half tribe of Manasseh personally requested. Those three tribes had entered the Promised Land earlier and noticed the land East of the Jordan River (not technically in the Promised Land) was very beautiful and fertile. They asked Moses’ permission for that land to be their inheritance when the time came, even though it was not what the Lord had originally promised to them. Moses consented and those three tribes established their families there believing they had received a better inheritance. However, the land they settled was not well protected and was very vulnerable to outsiders. Throughout the rest of the Old Testament we see that those three tribes were always the first to be taken into captivity or attacked.

So often we settle for what we think is best, or what looks good at the time instead of what the Lord has set aside for us. Was the land east of the Jordan fertile? Yes. Was it beautiful? Yes. But, was it the Lord’s best? No. Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh had instead decided that the other land would be better than what the Lord had to offer. Sadly, their descendants suffered the most due to their settlement.

In life my biggest fear is that I’ll settle. Settle for a decent job…settle for husband….settle for what I consider is my “life’s purpose”. Nothing scares me more than the thought of one day hearing Jesus say: “You lived a good life, but you could’ve lived so much more. There was so much more that I had for you if you had only trusted and followed my leading instead of what you thought seemed good at the time.”

God has what is best for us. Sunday made me wonder if I really am trusting and willing to follow the Lord, believing His way is best; or if in some areas of my life, I’m still setting up a tent just East of the Jordan river