Possess Your Possessions

“Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.” JOSHUA 1:3-5

 

PONDER THIS

Remember that when the children of Israel came out of Egypt, they were going into Canaan; they were coming out of the land of bondage into the land of blessing. God told Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you." Not “I will give it to you,” but “I have already given it to you.” God was saying to Joshua, “Every place you put your foot down is already yours.” But they had to possess their possessions. Like the Israelites, you have so much that God has promised that you have not yet possessed. There is God’s provision, but there must be your appropriation. And it doesn’t matter what God has done for you—if you don’t appropriate it, it won’t be yours.

How many of you have books in your library at home that you haven’t read yet? That’s the case for most of us. You’ve got books, but you haven’t read them all yet. Now is that book yours? Well, yes. But you haven’t possessed your possession. It’s doing you no good. It’s there; it’s your book. But you have not appropriated that which is yours. We have to choose to take up, and live in, God’s provision. He has provided; will you live like He has?

What are some things you have struggled with trusting God to provide?

According to Scripture, what are some things God has given you to possess? Have you taken hold of those things?

PRACTICE THIS

Take hold of the things of God you have struggled to possess. Live the day joyfully, with hope, sharing love with others, and being patient when things don’t go your way.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Evaluating True Riches

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” 1 John 2:17

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Do you want to know how rich you are? Add up everything you own that money cannot buy, that death nor disaster cannot take away, and then you’ll know just how rich you are. What did you discover? Hopefully, you discovered that it’s time you started laying up true riches. Because all the rest will burn away. If you are putting all of your labor in this world, it’s like rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship.

ACTION POINT:

Read Matthew 6:19-21. Where is your heart? Where is your treasure?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Where Is Your Treasure?

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“. . . for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

There are many people who think they are wealthy who are not. We’ve seen the television series “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” and many times it should be called “Lifestyles of the Rich and Foolish.”

When is a rich man poor? When he tries to find satisfaction in his money. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, said, “He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver” (Ecclesiastes 5:10).

A man of modest income said to a man who was very rich, “I have more than you have.” The rich man said, “How is that so?” He answered, “Because I have all I want, and you don’t.”

ACTION POINT:

When you set your goal to be wealthy, then money becomes your master rather than your servant. What is your goal with your finances?

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers 

Beware Rich Man Who Has No Integrity

Job 27:13-20

13 "This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage that oppressors receive from the Almighty: 
14 If his children are multiplied, it is for the sword, and his descendants have not enough bread. 
15 Those who survive him the pestilence buries, and his widows do not weep. 
16 Though he heap up silver like dust, and pile up clothing like clay, 
17 he may pile it up, but the righteous will wear it, and the innocent will divide the silver. 
18 He builds his house like a moth's, like a booth that a watchman makes. 
19 He goes to bed rich, but will do so no more; he opens his eyes, and his wealth is gone. 
20 Terrors overtake him like a flood; in the night a whirlwind carries him off.


Everything man has comes from the Lord. You may think that your gain is only through your toil which is in part true. You were meant to work as part of the curse brought by Adam's sin, the sin that is in all mankind. But the fact remains, if you have been blessed, in abundance with material things, God meant for you to share. When was the last time you shared your God-given wealth? Do you share food with the guy standing on the side of the road? Small things make for a big change!! Open your heart to the voice of the Lord! Be careful that your trust is in God alone!

Matthew 6:20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Romans 10:11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."

Earthly Possessions

1 Tim.6:6-10 Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment,  for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world.  But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.
Job 1:21 And he said,"Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."
Ps.49:17 For when he dies he will carry nothing away; his glory will not go down after him.
Matt.6:19-21 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Somewhere along the way, we have gotten the idea that more things will make us happy and content. There are many wealthy people who are not content. They have all sorts of things that just seem to add to the feeling of, there has got to be more to this life. If you follow the Lord, you will be content! Our pastor has just preached a sermon on this subject and I have not listened to yet. I know I will be blessed by God's truth in his sermon. This lesson that I am talking about came from my bible study today. I know that God blessed many people in the bible with material blessings because of their faithfulness to Him. These people were righteous, sought God's will and took care of others who were less fortunate than they were.
Matt.6:31-34 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.  "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
I guess what strikes my heart about God's word is that love is the key to being a Christ Follower. Be mindful of the poor, share what you have and be blessed. Clean out closets and give to your local food and clothes bank. May God bless you today.