God didn’t say, “I will give you the land upon which you walk.” He said, “I have given it to you.” The same is true today. Concerning the things of God, whenever you choose to step out and engage your “sole,” that land is already yours. It’s a matter of possessing your possession. It’s a matter of appropriation. Where do you want to put your soul? Where do you want to plant your foot and say, “I believe You for this, Lord. I’m stepping out in this. I’m going after this”?

I read about a man who was arrested in a futile attempt to rob a convenience store. The amazing part of the story is that the gun he used was actually a Civil War-era pistol worth $23,000. He had robbed the store for $125 when all the time, right there in his hand, he held a $23,000 treasure. Isn’t that like us? We strive for peanuts when the Lord has grapes for us the size of bowling balls. The Lord says, “I’ve already given you the land. It’s already a done deal. It’s just a matter of how much of it you want. I won’t take you any farther than you choose. But I’ll take you as far as you want to go.” How far did the Israelites go? The Promised Land covers thirty thousand square miles. At the height of their power, in Solomon’s reign, the Israelites claimed three thousand square miles. They took one-tenth of what God had already given them. And I can’t help but wonder if we have even done that.

Concerning the Spirit-filled life and the appropriation of the power of the Holy Ghost, many people say, “If the Lord wants to empower me and baptize me, I’m open.” But in Genesis 8, we see Noah on the ark, with the dove - a symbol of the Holy Spirit - circling overhead. Noah stretched out his hand and brought the dove in unto him. So too, I believe the Spirit of God is looking for a person, a people, a congregation to land upon. But this will not happen through passivity. Rather God, like Noah, responds to those who see the opportunity and extend their hand to pull Him in unto them.

Here in Joshua 1:3, the Lord says, “The land is already yours. It’s up to you how far you want to go, how deep you want to be.”