Taking Ownership of the Promises

When you try to read from a daily devotion, naturally there are are some that grab you more than others. For several years I have used the same devotion, Thoughts From the Diary of A Desperate Man. Prior to that, I used My Utmost for His Highest for several years.

This year I changed to Streams in the Desert, by L. B. Cowman. It was first published in 1925 and the author is really Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. I imagine in 1925 it was hard for a women to be taken serious many areas and she found greater receptivity as simply L. B. Cowman. I, for one, am very grateful that she had the courage to be obedient to what God had clearly placed on her heart.

In one of her devotions several weeks ago, she stated that when Joshua led God's people into the land of their inheritance, He gave them the boundaries of the land and also promised that where ever they placed their feet would be theirs. Unfortunately, they only occupied--took ownership of one-third of the land God laid out for them. Unbelievable.

My first thought upon being reminded of this was that

the Israelis are now and have been for many years

fighting on and for the land they did not occupy.

Since they did occupy what God had given them,

the enemy took possession of what

rightfully belonged to God's children.

I believe that God's promises are like his land. We have to take possession or ownership of them. Far too many people (me included) have spoken of the promises of God that he has given us but we have not taken possession of them and owned them.

As I thought about this, I wondered how many of us believe the promises but feel unworthy to receive them. As a result, we try to earn them or wait until we feel that we are worthy of such promises.

I now wonder how many of my promises are being occupied by the enemy because I did not take possession of them. So here is my decision. When God makes me a promise, I am going to claim it at that very moment. I refuse to give the enemy ownership of my promises.

How about you??