What does it look like for a believer to live in the Promised Land?
We live in the New Canaan – which Max Lucado says constitutes as a life defined by grace, refined by challenge, and aligned with the heavenly call.
“In God’s plan, in God’s land, we win more often than we lose, forgive as quickly as we’re offended and give as abundantly as we’ve received.”
What does it mean to live a life defined by grace?
There were times that Joshua made mistakes as a leader. There were times that the children of Israel made mistakes as they pressed in to the Promised Land. But they never allowed their failures to hold them back. They kept pressing forward. God equips us to do the same.
“Grace means that God saves us. It also means that God indwells us. He’s for us. He’s on our side.”
For our Promised Land life to be defined by grace, that means that every time we stumble we need to confess, repent and pick ourselves up.
We can learn from the apostle Paul to press on to the goal that lies ahead (Philippians 3:12-14). Paul stopped looking back over his shoulder. In Max’s words,
“There’s a reason that the windshield is so much bigger than the rear-view mirror. The life that is defined by grace is a life that stands not on performance but on the goodness and the love and acceptance of God.”
What does it mean to live a life refined by challenge?
God doesn’t tell us we won’t ever struggle. But He does promise that He uses those struggles to make us more like Him in the process. Some believers face hardship and immediately want to turn back to Egypt, a land that was dangerous and enslaving, but familiar. Max calls us to trust Christ and press on.
“In this world you will have tribulation. But be of good cheer, because I have overcome the world.”
Key Scriptures: Philippians 4:6-7; Joshua 1
Featured Songs: Live Forever by Matthew West; Best for Me by Darlene Zschech; Anything is Possible by Matthew West
