Daily Devotions
Our Conquest
Reading for February 25th: Numbers 33-34
"Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you..."
Numbers 33:51-52
When we become a Christian, there is a sense in which we have arrived into the Promised Land just like Israel did. We enjoy spiritual blessings in Christ (Eph 1:3). We are seated in the heavenly places (Eph 2:6). We are adopted as God's children (Rom 8:15). We are filled with the Spirit (Rom 8:9). And I could go on.
However, our new life in Christ and status as God's children does not mean that our old patterns and habits are immediately taken away from us. We must put off the old man (Col 3:8-10 - anger, wrath, malice, slander, etc.) and put on the new man (Col 3:12-14 - compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, etc.). To use the analogy of Israel taking the Promised Land, these attitudes and behaviors from our past are like the Canaanites who must be expelled.
The problem is we get lazy (as Israel did) and fail to drive out all of the inhabitants. Moses predicted that if this happened the remaining inhabitants would be as barbs in their eyes and thorns in their side (Num 33:55). Instead of receiving all the blessings God intends for us, we continue to be irritated and hindered by the thoughts and attitudes that remain untouched by the Word of God.
Father, help us to drive out all of the negative and sinful attitudes and dispositions in our hearts that we might bring all our thoughts under your control.
