‘To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit.’ (v18) 1 Chronicles 16:15–18
I look at my life as entrusted into my care by God. I’m responsible, through God’s guidance, to use my life, wherever I find myself, to love and serve God, which includes other people (Mark 12:30–31). Each Israeli tribe was given a portion of land to care for, with the majority in the Promised Land; but Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of Manasseh had east of the Jordan (Josh. 13:8). When we surrender to Jesus, God entrusts our new life back into our hands. What shall we do with it?
On reflection, I’ve frittered many years away. I never rejected God, but I wasn’t diligent in pursuit of spiritual formation. I was happy enough to accept God’s love, attend church but use the rest of my time pleasing myself. God was at the edge, not the middle, of my life’s adventure.
Like many, an unanticipated event shocked me into reflecting on what I was doing with my life. I knew I had to respond to God more intentionally or risked losing hold of Him completely. At this point I was reminded of the scriptures God had repeatedly impressed upon me in the first three years of my Christian life, and also a significant prophecy I’d studiously ignored. This was the time to take seriously my invitation to cultivate the land given me by God. This meant addressing my own spiritual condition so I might cultivate my inheritance.
RELATED SCRIPTURE TO CONSIDER: Josh. 14:6–15; Psa. 51:10–17; Isa. 55:1–7; Matt. 25:14–30.
A PRAYER TO MAKE: ‘Lord, help me to curate and cultivate the life You have given me and so become the best of who You created me to be. Amen.’
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash | Image from Maxpixel.net
