Are you in bondage, in the wilderness or in your promise land?

Dear Friends!
Grace and mercy be multiplied unto you in Jesus’ name. I have a question for you to answer today and the question is this: Are you in bondage, in the wilderness, or in your promised land?

We read about how God promised the children of Israel a land flowing with milk and honey, but when it came time to possess it, as a nation they were not ready. There are attitudes that keep you in bondage and wandering in the wilderness, while a promised land flowing with milk and honey awaits you. The Bible is full of the record of sins that plagued the rest of the children of Israel, which we are to be aware of today in our lives.

But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. 7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. 9 Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents. 10 Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer. 11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (1 Corinthians 10:5-11)

As we can see, these people wandered in the wilderness because of murmuring, lust and fornication, idolatry, rebellion, contention, and so on.

Besides these sins, the people succumbed to the destructive emotion of fear (see Numbers 14).

As a result of their fear and sin, the adult Israelites wandered in the wilderness for forty years until their generation died off. Of that generation, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to obtain their inheritance in the Promised Land at the end of the forty years (Numbers 14:24).

• Are you experiencing some forms of bondage (financial, spiritual, physical, mental) in your life right now?
• Are you still wandering in your own wilderness?
• Are you seeking freedom and a glorious promised land where blessings flow, and where the righteous desires of your hearts are met?
• Does it seem to you that the journey to your own personal promised land is taking too long?

If you answer yes to any of the above questions, you might want to take some time today and review the sins and mistakes of the children of Israel to see if there are some things you need to change in your attitude.

Ask yourself the tough questions such as:

• Am I murmuring and complaining instead of praising and thanking God for what He has given me?
• Is there anything that is taking the place of God in my life right now?
• Am I rebelling against God or against His word?
• Since pride is the root of rebellion, ask yourself, “Am I proud and arrogant?”
• Am I prone to contention, anger, or even violence? Are my interactions, dealings, and conversations with my family, friends, and strangers contentious in character, or are they filled with love, kindness, gentleness, and purity?
• Are my thoughts and actions holy and pure? Do I slip into lustful thoughts or actions?
• Do I covet what other people have – whether that is their spouse, their house, their money, or their talents?

Please note that not all delays in reaching your goals are related to sin. God does have a season for everything, but if we take time to examine our lives, that might help us to remove any hindrance on the way, so that God can lead us into our promised land in His fullness of time.

Remember, no amount of faith and all the positive thinking in the world will help you enter your personal promised land if you are rebelling against God, if your attitude is contentious, or if your thoughts and actions are immoral.

May you never die in bondage or in the wilderness, but enter your promised land in Jesus’ name!

Till tomorrow,
Pastor Rufus Ajiboy