March 23rd, 21

DAY 82   He Has All You Need - Just Ask

Our readings today are Joshua 15 – 17 and I Corinthians 8.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

Like many in our world, I grew up in a family with divorce, and there were times in my childhood when I was visiting my Father and I did not feel at home, the home, it’s rooms, the yard, the toys, all of it didn’t really feel like they were mine, they felt like they belonged to my step siblings. I felt displaced, I was an interloper,  For whatever reason, I failed to see myself for what I was.  As the son of my Father.  

I’ve struggled with this diminished view of myself, most of my life.   I’ve failed to fully understand my identity, and hear the words of embrace and permission offered to me by God, through His Word.  

Words like the ones offered to the tribes of Manasseh in today’s reading. They were growing and needed more land.  The answer they get from Joshua when they asked was, Take it.  Take all you need.  I marvel at things like this.  I’ve often thought that to have more, or ask for more – that’s for the people for whom it was meant.  People who are more deserving, more together, smarter, less broken, than me.  Joshua doesn’t say anything like that, to these people.  He simply says, Do you need more?  Take all you need.

We see the same kind of boldness from The five daughter of  Zelophehad in this reading.   These ladies may have been taught by their father and mother, to know how worthy and valuable they were, even when the culture of that time would have said otherwise, somehow they knew that they were worthy of their father’s inheritance.  And so they were bold enough to ask.  “The Lord commanded Moses to give us a grant of land along with the men of our tribe!”  in other words, this is ours, and we are here to take it!  I marvel at this courage, and clarity to see and know who they really were.  

And the same can be true for you, for all of us today.   We have a good Father, who is making it clear how valuable you are, that you are worthy of his inheritance.  Not because of how good of a child you have been, but because you are family, you are his child, and he is good. We can have clarity and boldness to see and take what is ours in Christ.  Let these Five daughters of Zelophadad speak to you today, and reach out and take what is yours.

You are loved!