Joshua 17:14 "And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto."
Are You Happy?
When you take stock of your life, are you happy with your lot in life? People think they want material things, but what they really want is satisfaction and happiness. Someone may say, "If I just had that car, then I would be happy." He does not want the car; he really wants the happiness. Another person may say, "If I had that house, then I would be happy." He does not want a house; he wants happiness. Ironically, the people who are unhappy even with those cars and houses have even more reason to be unhappy. They acquired everything they thought they needed to be happy, yet they are not happy!
In Joshua 17, sections of the Promised Land were literally being divvied up among the children of Israel. The tribe of Manasseh had so much going for them. They were God's people, they had a great heritage, and they had a rich land; yet none of this was enough! They thought they needed more land; what they really needed was more faith and more obedience. Instead of driving the Canaanites out, the tribe of Manasseh "put [them] to tribute." Money could not replace obedience to God! And then the tribe of Manasseh complained to Joshua because they thought they deserved better than what they got.
In life, there are two kinds of people: complainers and conquerors. You cannot be one while being the other. Are you complaining about why you can't do what you should do, or are you simply obeying in God's strength? The truth is, you will never be greater than the measure of your obedience to God. Period. You can have a great heritage, be a great person, and have great possessions, but you will never be greater than the measure of your obedience to God.
The tribe of Manasseh had pride; they lacked humility and obedience. They had complaints; they lacked action. They had excuses; they lacked solutions. Once you make the one necessary decision-obedience-several ways to solve your problem may be available to you. If you face a command by saying, "I can't!", you are already locked into defeat! Begin instead by saying, "If God said it; I will do it," and the answers will present themselves. The real problem for these Israelites was not what they lacked; their problem was obedience! What about you? Are you happy with your lot in life? Don't blindly chase "things" while neglecting the most important thing: obedience to God.
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