After the death of Moses, the Lord chose Joshua to lead the children of Israel into the Promised Land. Joshua 1:1-9 records:
1 “Now after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord it came to pass, that the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,
2 Moses my servant is dead, now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.
3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.
4 From the wilderness…………………….and unto the great sea ……………..shall be your coast.
5 There shall not any man be able to stand before you all the days of your life: as I was with Moses so I will be with you: I will not fail you nor forsake you.
6 Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shall you divide the land for an inheritance, which I swore to their fathers to give them.
7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law , which Moses my servant commanded you: Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.
8 This book of the law…………observe to do all that is written therein, for then you shall prosper and have good success.
9 …….Be strong and of a good courage; do not be afraid, neither be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

For every disciple of Jesus Christ today, this Promised Land is our spiritual birthright in Christ. It is available to us now, we do not have to wait until we get to Heaven. Verse 3, speaking of the Land, is a finished work, not a promise for the future: “Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you…”

After reading this, many have focused on “doing” and trying to obtain good success by observing the law, only to become frustrated at their inability to fulfil it in all points. This was the old covenant. In our flesh it is impossible to fully keep it. Jesus Christ is the only one who can, but through His sacrifice at Calvary, He established a new covenant, made available to every Believer which replaces, yet fulfils, the old. As I daily yield to the Holy Spirit and His guidance, the life of the Indwelling Christ comes forth in me in a demonstration of His power and ability: “in me, but not of me.” “Christ in me, the hope of glory”….God’s glory. It is all about Him.

Paul emphasised this truth: Galatians 2:19-21 “ I am dead to the law that I might live to God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness comes by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” Paul was addressing the Galatians who had begun to follow Christ under the new covenant of faith, but had lapsed back into the works of the law, trying to fulfil it in their own strength and observation of the old, (Galatians 3). Have we not all been here at some stage?….trying in our own strength to fulfil the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew chapters 5-7), falling and becoming despondent with our failure, our self glory in ashes around our feet. There is only One who can live the “Sermon on the Mount” and He is Jesus. The good news is that as I yield to Him, He lives His glorious life through me. “Christ in me, the hope of glory”, God’s glory. He does the work, the credit/glory is all His. Jesus, our Pattern Man, demonstrated this. He took no credit for His life and work but declared that of Himself He could do nothing, it was His Father in Him, doing the work. He was totally yielded in His will to His Father. He only spoke the words His Father gave Him, only did the things that pleased Him. He declared that His Father was greater than Himself and that power and life demonstrated through Him was in Him but not of Him. It was the glorious life of Another. This is our birthright. If I have received salvation through Jesus’ sacrifice, and given Him my heart, I must now make Him Lord of my life. The two of us cannot reign together on the throne of my heart. John the Baptist declared of Jesus, John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The words of a song come to mind: “ALL to Jesus I surrender..” Why do I hang on to things God requires me to surrender? My wrong believing has to change. My Heavenly Father only ever wants His best for me. No man can out-give God. The sweetest peace of God always follows surrender to Him.

Yielding destroys the impetus of compulsion.

Compulsion is stressful, yielding relieves the pain of resistance and brings peace to a troubled soul. Have you found the place David found when he declared, Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do your will, O God.” His commandments are not grievous but bring delight.

Jesus brought the Gospel of Good News. Hebrews chapters 8-10 declare the new covenant replacing, yet fulfilling the old, through Calvary. Hebrews 10:9 “…..He takes away the first that He may establish the second.”

Hebrews 10:1, speaking of Jesus, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those that are sanctified.” FOREVER! My spirit was sealed at salvation. <em”>He has made us accepted in the beloved,” Ephesians 1:6. Christ is my identity, not my failure and sin. He is all my righteousness and I stand complete in Him!

Hebrews 8:9-13 records the new covenant replacing the old.
10 “….I will put my laws into their mind and write them in their hearts. I shall be to them a God and they shall be to me a people.
12 I will be merciful to their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities I will remember no more.
13 In saying a new covenant, he has made the first old. Now that which decays and waxes old is ready to vanish away.”

We have come into the kingdom for such a time as this. We do not have to try and fulfil the law in our own strength any more. True prosperity and success is a daily walk with Jesus. The Promised Land is for us today spiritually. When Jesus had completed His sacrifice, His work was finished and Hebrews 10:12 records that after this completion “…He sat down at the right hand of God.” Please God, may I recognise Christ’s finished work, that I might sit down, enter into His rest, take His hand and let Him live His life through me.

Are you still struggling? Resisting? It’s time to sit down and surrender to the Master.