佔有你的產業

經文: 「凡你們腳掌所踏之地，我都…賜給你們了。」（書一3）

 
        今天除了有許多地方，我們還沒有得來歸主以外，還有許多上帝給的應許，我們也沒有得到。上帝對約書亞講甚麼呢？「凡你們腳掌所踏之地，我都….賜給你們了。」於是上帝也把那應許之地的地界畫給他們看──只要是他們腳掌走遍的地方都歸給他們。
        可是他們從來沒有完全走遍上帝所指定的境地。他們只走遍地的三分之一，結果他們從來沒有完全得著，他們只得著地的三分之一，他們所得著的正是他們所走遍的一點都不多。
        在彼得後書，我們看見「主所應許的尚未成就」，上帝的旨意仍舊要我們用信心和順服的腳掌，去走遍然後纔得到。
        今天我們中間，有多少信徒曾藉著基督的名得到上帝應許的實現呢？
        在我們面前有一塊寬廣的地業，需要我們用信心的腳掌去走遍的，可是我們至今還沒有起步。
        讓我們起來去佔有上帝給我們的一切產業罷。讓我們舉目向東西南北觀看，聽上帝對我們說：「凡你們所看見的一切地，我都要賜給你。」（創十三14~15）──裴爾遜（A.T. Pierson）
        凡是猶大腳掌所踏之地，就歸猶大；凡是便雅憫所踏之地，就歸便雅憫。每支派都是這樣，只要腳掌一踏下去，那地就歸他們。這樣，你想豈不是他們的腳掌一踏下去的時候，立刻就會頂自然地覺得：「這是我的了？」
        有一次，有人問一位年老而靈歷很深的弟兄：「但以理，為甚麼你有這樣多的平安與喜樂？」他回答說：「哦，先生，我只仆在上帝極大極寶貝的應許上，把上帝應許中一切的豐富算作我的，我就得著了，榮耀啊！榮耀啊！」凡仆在上帝應許上的，就得的上帝所有的豐富。──譯自信報（Faith Papers） 

Enter Into Your Inheritance

Scripture: "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you" (Joshua 1:3).

        Beside the literal ground, unoccupied for Christ, there is the unclaimed, untrodden territory of Divine promises. What did God say to Joshua? "Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you," and then He draws the outlines of the Land of Promise--all theirs on one condition: that they shall march through the length and breadth of it, and measure it off with their own feet.
        They never did that to more than one-third of the property, and consequently they never had more than one-third; they had just what they measured off, and no more.
        In 2 Peter, we read of the "land of promise" that is opened up to us, and it is God's will that we should, as it were, measure off that territory by the feet of obedient faith and believing obedience, thus claiming and appropriating it for our own.
        How many of us have ever taken possession of the promises of God in the name of Christ?
        Here is a magnificent territory for faith to lay hold on and march through the length and breadth of, and faith has never done it yet.
        Let us enter into all our inheritance. Let us lift up our eyes to the north and to the south, to the east and to the west, and hear Him say, "All the land that thou seest will I give to thee." --A. T. Pierson
        Wherever Judah should set his foot that should be his; wherever Benjamin should set his foot, that should be his. Each should get his inheritance by setting his foot upon it. Now, think you not, when either had set his foot upon a given territory, he did not instantly and instinctively feel, "This is mine"?
        An old colored man, who had a marvelous experience in grace, was asked: "Daniel, why is it that you have so much peace and joy in religion?" "O Massa!" he replied, "I just fall flat on the exceeding great and precious promises, and I have all that is in them. Glory! Glory!" He who falls flat on the promises feels that all the riches embraced in them are his. --Faith Papers
        The Marquis of Salisbury was criticized for his Colonial policies and replied: "Gentlemen, get larger maps."