I have been reading for the past several weeks from the Old Testament book of Joshua. This book starts out in such an amazing way, as God is basically telling Joshua, "Get up! Go take the land! I will NOT fail you or abandon you!!" I have thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the things God asked of the Israelites, and how, no matter how big the task, God Himself helped them overcome.
This morning, I was reading about the land that Joshua and the Israelites had conquered and how it was divided between the different tribes. Some tribes were given land many years before by Moses, and that land lay east of the Jordan River. The other tribes were given all the land west of the Jordan River as their inheritance from the land they had taken from the Canaanites. There was enough land to divide between all the tribes. Well, all that is but one.
The tribe of Levi was the only tribe that did not get any of the land. OK, they were given a few small towns "to live in with surrounding pasture lands for their livestock and all their possessions (Joshua 14:4b)," but that was it. Why did everyone else get all the land, and these poor people got completely left out?
The tribe of Levi made up the priests. The priests were the ones who took care of the temple, carried the Ark of the Covenant, and did any other priestly things that God may ask of them. God had told them many years before that they would be taken care of by Him and Him alone. They were allowed to eat some of the foods that were offered as sacrifices, and God would provide everything else they needed.
Joshua 13:33 says, "But Moses gave no allotment of land to the tribe of Levi, for the LORD, the God of Israel, had promised that He Himself would be their allotment." WOW! To me, that is just amazing! Instead of land for their inheritance and security, God had promised them something so much bigger. He gave them everything He had. He was their portion. He was their allotment. He would be their inheritance and provide for their security. He would be their EVERYTHING! Out of all the land that Joshua and his army captured and divided between the tribes, and it was a LOT of land, the tribe of Levi was given the biggest blessing. I can think of nothing better than having God Almighty as your allotment!
Do you ever feel like everyone else is getting all the tangible blessings? Do you see everyone else prospering and gaining "things"? Do you sometimes think that it just isn't fair that God is handing over everything to everyone but you? Well let me encourage you, friend. Because, as a child of God, HE is your portion! God Almighty, the Creator of the universe, loves you so much that He wants to be your portion. He wants to supply all your needs in His way and in His timing.
“That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to him than they are? Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’ These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need." ~Matthew 6:25-33(NLT)
So today, when you look around at all you have, or the lack thereof, just remember this: The LORD God Almighty will be your portion. And that portion is far better than anything else in this life you could ever acquire!
No comments:
Post a Comment