I’ve never really thought about the Israelites and what happened AFTER they crossed the Jordan and the walls of Jericho came tumbling down.
We all have a certain mindset about the Promised Land. I’m sure, like most Bible readers, I get bogged down in some of the Old Testament and skim or skip. But with just a few days into our farmhouse adventures, I’m looking more deeply at their story and how it relates to mine.
We just moved five minutes away from our home in a neighborhood to a 10-acre farm. If you had asked me seven years ago if this was my dream, I would have given you a blank stare and probably laughed in your face. But six years ago, God started to water seeds in my heart He had planted long before about this special place He wanted for us {and you.}
During the past five months, we’ve bought the land, burned an existing {gross} home down with the help of the local fire department, and built a modern day farmhouse. We also moved . . . with a two-year-old and my husband who travels extensively with his current job.
But all of this quickly happened after looking for land for three years and trying to sell our house twice.
I’ve learned to wait on God to move. To expect the miracle from His hand. And to recognize attacks from a very real enemy when the promise fulfilled is extremely close.
When the Israelites conquered the first town of the Canaanites, it was only the beginning for them in this new territory. They had entered their promised land from God, but it wasn’t easy street. They were provided for, protected, and walking with God, but the battles actually increased
They continued to obey, fight the enemy, conquer, and move to the next major event AFTER they entered their promised land. And only AFTER God told them to.
The Israelite women must have been exhausted from all the packing and preparing for battle and celebrating victories and praying for their men and unpacking and trying to keep some sort of normalcy in such upheaval. God was on the move with them, but I’m sure it was A LOT to deal with emotionally on a daily basis.
I’m becoming more thankful I get to unpack boxes and settle my family into the spot God has prepared for us and begin working on the vision He has for Bryant Family Farm. I realize this is such a precious gift that many don’t experience — the dream God has for them realized, the real Jesus led adventure.
But crossing over into our promised land has not been an easy one. And it’s only been a month. There are expectations to deal with — from myself and my husband. We have had more than one very hard and ugly conversation since the move. There are new responsibilities added to full plates. We’ve dealt with sickness. The ongoing labor involved in taking care of land and soon-to-be animals is tiring. And, of course, all the unpacking, sorting, and purging.
I’ve realized the best fighting we can do is back-to-back, against a real enemy with God’s Word drawn as a sword. When I’m right in the middle of God’s will for my life, and I know that I know that I know it’s exactly what was planned for me, and then things start to blow up . . . I receive more confirmation we are making the enemy nervous and in the sweet spot of the Holy Spirit’s plan. We are in enemy territory, occupying real land that the Lord wants back.
It’s already been an exciting time for our little family, and we are anxious for God to reveal more of His plans and next steps for Bryant Family Farm. But I know, without His Spirit protecting, guiding, and making us holy through the process, all would have been in vain.
Just like the Israelites, we have to listen and obey the voice of God, following His presence wherever He leads. Don’t fight the battles alone. Those never end well. Let Jesus lead you, fight for you, and give you a little piece of your territory at a time.
Are you living in your promised land? Are you willing to continue to move forward after you’ve crossed over your Jordan River? What does it look like for you after the walls of Jericho have fallen and there are still more battles to be fought?
I know one thing: your promised land is worth fighting for.
“But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one . . . May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.”
{2 Thessalonians 3:3-5, NLT}
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Stephanie,
The scripture you quoted from 2 Thessalonians kind of sums up what you’ve been talking about and where we get our strength from “with patient endurance that comes from Christ.” Yes, there will still be battles to be fought…but we need to take care that it’s us against the enemy and not let him use difficulty to turn us against one another.
Blessings to you in your new promised land,
Bev
This is exactly where my husband & I are! Those words could be our words! Except the dream/promise land is Shining Light Inn Bed & Breakfast! God is using us to minister to people thru the B&B… marriage retreats… people just needing a place of refuge to relax & seek God! It is incredible! God is incredible! But the battle is still always with us! Standing on guard with the Sword of the Spirit! Love the reminder to fight, back to back… We are not each other’s enemy, there is only one true enemy that tries to keep us from the promise! Thank you for this breath of fresh air… just what I needed!
My family and I are moving from Europe to Australia next week, and promised land talk has been in my head and on my lips. I think you’ve given me some fuel for the inevitable questions that will come in two or three weeks time. Why are we here? What have we done?? Thank you for reminding me that we will have to keep fighting for a while.
Right now it feels like we’re crawling on our hands and knees through the desert to get to our Promised Land! It would be nice to get to a good place and just be there for a while. Lately every time we think we’re getting closer to that place, life goes WHAMMO and gives us another life altering situation. We are praying and reminding ourselves every day to trust God and reaching out to friends for support as well. But it’s a daily battle right now. We have to choose to keep crawling instead of giving up and laying down in the sand. God has promised us a HOPE and a FUTURE. It’s not over. Our story is not over.
My husband and I recently moved to another city. We both have hectic schedules and I personally have been praying that through it all God shows us what his purpose is for us in this new place. I love how you said I am waiting on God to move. Sometimes I get so caught up in what do I need to do next in my new place that I forget to just BE STILL and wait on God to move! Thanks for sharing!
Oooohhh my! We just moved to a big beautiful house in a coastal town of North Carolina. But it’s a big fixer upper. Your devotion has ministered to me greatly seeing as how we are from Dalls Texas and there has been a huge transition involving more than a relocation for my husbands job but also a big spiritual move for us. I know God wants to grow me here as a speaker/blogger/author and satan wants to trip me up with obstacles, re ovation problems and homesickness. We’ll not gonna happen! God has given me this promised land and I am with my husband gonna fight for it every step!
This post is just what needed to hear. God has now brought up to me the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho and the promised land three times. When that happens I pay attention. Great to read this.
So encouraging. I especially am dwelling on the sentance that says, “We are in enemy territory, occupying real land that the Lord wants back.” This is so powerful to me because we fight harder with purpose and justice on our side to take back what is rightfully ours. Our land and our lives are God’s property and evil is the trespassor.
This post really struck me. I know you were writing about moving, but, goodness, it echoed so much of what I’ve experienced through the three adoption processes that built our family. Your words are encouraging and I’m bookmarking them to read again.
Stephanie,
Congratulations on getting the promised farm! I’m stuck in a holding pattern just waiting for God to show me the next move. My poor hubby has had 3 job changes-same company-within 14 months. I’m fighting the battle to be patient and wait on God! It is tough, but right now he has me helping care for my aging dad. I want to move ahead and do something great for Him! There will always be battles to fight. The closer one gets to God the more the devil works against you. I fight daily in my War Room!
Blessings 🙂
I had to read your post twice – it was as though I was reading about myself. I’m a total city girl, the thought of moving out to land, ha! This has never been my dream or desire, but have you ever noticed when you pray for God’s will to be the desires of your heart what happens? Long story short, for the better part of the past year God kept giving me that scripture Be still and know that I am God, over and over. Every prayer I went to Him with, that was his answer. Shortly after school started this year, I heard God say ” give it all up and Go.” your words, “I’ve learned to wait on God to move” echoed in my soul. My husband and I have prayerfully asked God for confirmation (I have to keep apologizing to God, I think I’m worse than Gideon) that we are to move from our very affluent city life out to a small town with land. He has given us confirmation repeatedly. The process seems slow, we have things to do to our house before it can go on the market, which we would wait until spring anyway, and there are no houses that meet our criteria on the market where we believe we are to move to. Everytime i get caught up in that God sends me the message to wait on his timing. Which I believe your post was another confirmation for me. God’s timing never seems to be mine, thankfully His is better. Thank you for sharing.