“And the LORD spoke to me, saying: ‘You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward.” Deut. 2:2-3
“Rise, take your journey, and cross over the River Arnon. Look, I have given into your hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and engage him in battle.” Deut. 2:24
By Michael Adekoya – Dear Reader, from last week’s article, we can see that God delights in our enlargement, He demonstrated this in the family of Abraham as well as Jabez. The same God has never changed, he can enlarge us individually and collectively. In this week’s article, I’ve been led to look at seven reasons that makes us not to enlarge and what Joshua through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit says we should do to enlarge from the Biblical passage of Josh. 17:12-18. Don’t forget that the Israelites have been commanded to drive out the Canaanites from their territories completely and therefore to enlarge. But they did not drive them all out or enlarge as commanded by God. What are the reasons behind this?
Firstly, they have no power to drive out the Canaanites initially. No power to expand – Josh. 17:12 says, “Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land”. They have no power to drive out the determined Canaanites. When God asks us to do something, He supplies the power, the resources, the abilities and everything it takes to do it. What we need to do is to ask Him in faith (James 1:5-7). By our own power, we can not enlarge, do the will of God, overcome our determined enemies. Let’s ask God to empower us to do so with pure and genuine motives – Jam. 4:2-3
Secondly, they were benefiting from the presence of the Canaanites, they were enjoying a bit of control, exercising authority even when they eventually have power to do drive them out of their promised lands. Josh. 17:13 – “And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.” They loved their enemies, they loved their flesh, the world and were dancing with Satan. They thought they were exercising authority and control over their supposed enemies, their “Samsons” were toying with “Delilahs” rather than driving out their “Delilahs” because of the “satisfaction and pleasures” they were deriving in their “sexual relationships” with “Delilahs”. My friend, what are those godly, divine, Holy Spirit inspired and commanded things that the pleasures of sin, ungodly relationships, wordy benefits, ungodly control or overconfidence have prevented you from driving out of your life? Food for thought!
Thirdly, they loved their current situation, no need to expand, “we have arrived mentality” – Josh. 17:14 “Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?” Did they go to Joshua to complain or to boast about their greatness? In my opinion, it seems they went to boast of their greatness and blessings to Joshua. When we are boasting about who we are now and not planing about how far we can go can prevent us from enlarging. When we have “I have arrived mentality”. Our hunger for expansion, multiplication or enlargement shall decrease. My friend, we need to have the Apostle Paul’s kind of mentality, despite all his great exploits, knowledge, wisdom, ministerial achievements and so on, he said, “…but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ..but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil. 3:12-14. Thank God for all what you have achieved so far, my friend, you can still achieve more and greater, don’t stop dreaming, aspiring, improving and moving forward in life.
Further more, they were not ready to pay the price of enlargement – Josh. 17:15. “So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.” They were talking about enlargement but not ready to engage or pay the price of what they desired and confessed. My friend, wishful thinking and confession without action does not guarantee success or victory, we have to put our wishes and desires into actions. Confession alone without the corresponding actions does not bring possession. It is our confession with actions that bring enlargements and results. (Jam. 2:14 and 17)
Moreover, they had misplaced priority – Josh. 17:16a “But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us..” They wanted more but what were they doing with what they have already? They implied that what they have was not enough, have they been faithful with it? The Bible says, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” Luke 16:10. Sometimes the reason that we don’t have much is we’ve not been faithful with little. And, why should God give us more? Why should God give us more territory? We say, “O God, I want a bigger opportunity.” “Oh, I want to know more of the Bible” Do you know the reason God can’t teach some of us more of the Bible is because we’re not obeying some part of the Bible we already know. Somebody says, “Oh, I wish I had more money.” Do you know why you don’t have more money? It is because you’ve got all God can trust you with right now. “Oh,” you say, “I wish I had millions” What would you do with a million? Get your priority right, be faithful with the ‘little’ you have right now and God shall enlarge you very soon.
Further more, they were afraid of the Canaanites – Josh. 17:16b “..and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.” They were afraid of the sophisticated weapons of the Canaanites. They knew their problems but not ready to address it, they had fear of failure, fear of taking the right steps, fear of what people would say, fear to confront their enemies, fear to take risk, fear of the problem that enlargement will bring. My friend, fear paralyses, fear chokes our creativities, fear enslaves, fear brings snare, fear gives birth to procrastination, fear brings about the postponement of what we should have done today till tomorrow, fear brings oppression rather than liberation and fear brings decrease rather than increase. Remember, God has not given you given you the spirit of fear – 2Tim. 1:7. Deal with your fear by being courageous, by taking bold steps of faith, by trusting in the Person, in the Power and in the Promises of God.
Finally, they forgot few things and what they needed to do to enlarge – Josh. 17:17-18 “And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.” Joshua had to remind them of who they were – “You are a great people”. My friend, you too are great. Joshua reminded them what they possessed – “You have great power” What makes a great palace? The building or the King in there? My friend, you are great because of Who lives in you – 1John 4:4. Joshua reminded them what they can possess – more than you think you can posses “you shall not have only one lot, but the mountain country will be yours” My friend, God is able to do more than you can think or imagined – Eph. 3:20.
In addition, Joshua told them what to do if they wanted to enlarge – “cut the tree down”. That they should remove those things that are not hurtful or harmful but cluttering your enlargement. In other words, Joshua told them to take away all what is taking their time unnecessarily, he told them to take away every hindrance that looks good but not godly. What are those things in our lives that are not hurtful or harmful, but are detrimental to our progress and expansion in life? Trees are good for boat or furniture making, but they are bad and you need to cut them down if that’s not what you plan to use your land for. What are those things that represent ‘trees” in our lives? Let us identify them and cut them down so that we can enlarge our promised and desired territories.
Joshua also told them about the blessings that are awaiting them if they do what he recommended – “and its farthest extent shall be yours”. My friend, be motivated by the blessings, fulfilment and the benefits of expansion rather than allowing yourself to be intimidated by it. Be motivated by the lives of the people you shall touch, reach or bless. Be motivated by the feelings of joy, fulfilment, relief, etc that you shall have if you enlarge your territories as well.
Joshua told them to remove those things that corrupt them – “for you shall drive out the Canaanites”. The Canaanites were obstacles, negative hindrances, they were bad, harmful and would not let them enlarge. Solomon was corrupted by foreign women as wise as he was. Therefore, do away with your ‘concubines’, do away with your unfriendly friends, do away with unforgiveness, do away with your secret sins, bitterness, malice, disobedience, hatred, worldliness and so on. They are bad, they do corrupt, they are our ‘Canaanites’ let’s drive them out of our lives, out of our hearts and out of our territories so that we can enlarge as desired and promised by God in 2023 and beyond.
Finally, Joshua told them that they can enlarge, that they have all what it takes to enlarge despite the sophisticated weapon of their enemies – “though they have iron chariots and are strong.” My friend, your ‘Canaanites’ may be strong, but not stronger than God, they may be wise, but not wiser than God, they may be many, but not mightier than God, He and those who are with you are more than your enemies. You can enlarge, you can increase, you have all what it takes, you have been divinely equipped and resourced to go forward in life and to be greater than your current circumstances, situations and positions. Don’t settle for less. Let’s strive through the help of the Holy Spirit to be who God wants us to be and to posses all what He wanted us to possess to the glory of God. My friend engage and enlarge your territories in this new year. Remain blessed!
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