Joshua 18:1-3
And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them. And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance. And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, How long are ye slack to go to possess the land, which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?
Slack is a doorway to lack. Lack is a close companion of sorrow and regret.
Slack defined:
• To be lazy, avoid work, or work with insufficient vigor or concentration.
• To neglect something such as duty, or leave something undone.
God had already given Israel a wonderful inheritance. God not only told them about their inheritance, He also showed it to them. God wanted His people to live in and enjoy the blessing of their inheritance all the days of their life on this earth but they were slack. They knew it was available and real they just made little or no effort to go possess it. They probably talked about it all the time like most Christians talk about what the Bible says belongs to them however they did not possess it. Knowing something belongs to you but lacking the diligence to go get it is tragic.
There were 12 tribes of the children of Israel but only 5 of the 12 had actually possessed the land of promise God had given them. Joshua asked them a very vital question that should have initiated self-examination. “How long are you slack to go possess the land?” Today, I would say it like this, “How long are you going to just sit there and be lazy? When are you going to rise up and obtain all that God has for you?”
Ephesians 2: 10
For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
God has an awesome plan for your life but you must cast off slack and get down to business. Our time here on the earth is short; we must be about our Father’s business. We must be sober and vigilant, refusing to be distracted by Satan’s devices that rob and steal destinies and dreams. We must resist the temptation to be idle, sluggish, bored and indifferent with our inheritance and the work of God. It is time to stand tall and be strong in the Lord, laying aside every weight and the sin that comes to beset and stop divine progress. The word beset means to harass or trouble somebody or something continually. Therefore we must put an immediate stop to slack in our lives. It is time to grow up and stop acting like immature childrenand mere unchanged men; gossiping and complaining, then free-loading on other people’s faith.
Slack is a work of the flesh. The flesh is an enemy of God.
Your life is precious, vital and strategic to the plan God and the body of Christ. We need each other to be all that God has called us to be and do. It was not enough that only 5 tribes of Israel had possessed their inheritance, God wanted them all to go into the promise land. God wants the whole Body of Christ to inherit and walk in all that He has given us. Come on, let us rise up and possess the whole land!
Yes, what can cause a person to be slack? Many things, but ultimately it is the enemy. Yes how long will we be in possessing the land? It does not matter what reasons we give for why we have not possessed it, it is merely a lame excuse. God has already given the land to us. Regardless of what the land is, go possess it!!!!
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more about the "stop acting like immature children and unchanged men and act like God's word expects us to act like in every situation of our lives!!!
God is so God, he always allows us another chance to do or say something his way the next time and not to react in our flesh*