PARAPRHASED: Be secure and of a good strength: for unto this nation shall you divide for an acquired settlement in a country the land, which I promised to their ancestors to deliver up to them.
MEANING: First, to “be strong” means to be constant, encouraged, & secure (just to name a few). Therefore, God is encouraging us as believers in Christ to be persistent in our walk with Him knowing that we are secure (strong) in the Lord.
He then goes on to say: “and of good courage”, which means – to be strong, determined, brave, & alert. This is significant to know simply because when we are courageous (strong in the Lord) we also need to be alert & determined in the Lord as well. Why? Simply because, our journey can often times look grim, & we can easily become discouraged. Therefore, if we are “of good courage”, we make ourselves alert (focused on Him) with the Lord & this strengthens our walk through the tough times in life, which allows us to be brave enough to stand boldly against the opposition.
Now, the phrase: “for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land” is an interesting phrase. Essentially, this is saying that this nation of God’s people shall share in the possessions of God’s Kingdom.
In other words, those of us who are in possession (inheritance) of God’s Kingdom (salvation in Christ & God’s royal power), we need to share this with the people of the land so that they too can have an equal opportunity to receive God’s mercy & grace.
You see, when God uses the word “divide” He’s making the point of sharing. The “Great Commission” is to preach the gospel across the land (Matthew 28:16-20). Children of God are not designed to “sit on the bench”! We are designed to be in the game & we are to be “of good courage”. When we see someone in need, this is an opportunity to not only help that person, if we can, but it’s also an opportunity to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what it means to divide the inheritance of God.
And, finally: “I sware”. This is the promise & the oath that God Himself takes on behalf of His love for His people. When God makes a promise to the child of God, He keeps it! And, I can’t stress enough the importance of being strong in the Lord & of good courage.
It’s like this: God promises to take care of us & fulfill the need of believers in Jesus Christ. The challenge sometimes is not knowing, when He will fulfill those needs (not wants) that we have.
What I’ve learned (the hard way) is that God is more interested in fulfilling the need of the spirit first, then the need of the body. Why? I believe that as a growing child of God, the more we rely on Him, the stronger our walk gets. This makes it easier for us to wait on the Lord in His time frame.
This has been proven to me time after time in my most dire needs; He’s right there helping me spiritually, physically, & even materially. God has a plan for each & every one of us. Our job is to just ask to be put in the game. Christ will take care of the rest.
Here’s a 21 day challenge: For the next 21 days, thank God daily & frequently throughout your day for the little blessings He provides (health, food, transportation, getting you though tough time, a job that is coming, etc.)! If you do this faithfully, you will find that at the end of 21 days, you just develop a habit of faith. And, from this point on, it will be something you do every day. Try & let me know your results.