DCLM Daily Manna 10 April 2022
KEY VERSE: “But the mountain shall be thine; for it is a wood, and thou shalt cut it down: and the outgoings of it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.” – (Joshua 17:18)
TEXT: Joshua 17:8-18 (KJV)
8 (Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah itself, on the boundary of Manasseh, belonged to the Ephraimites.) 9 Then the boundary continued south to the Kanah Ravine. There were towns belonging to Ephraim lying among the towns of Manasseh, but the boundary of Manasseh was the northern side of the ravine and ended at the Mediterranean Sea. 10 On the south the land belonged to Ephraim, on the north to Manasseh. The territory of Manasseh reached the Mediterranean Sea and bordered Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.
11 Within Issachar and Asher, Manasseh also had Beth Shan, Ibleam and the people of Dor, Endor, Taanach and Megiddo, together with their surrounding settlements (the third in the list is Naphoth[a]).
12 Yet the Manassites were not able to occupy these towns, for the Canaanites were determined to live in that region. 13 However, when the Israelites grew stronger, they subjected the Canaanites to forced labor but did not drive them out completely.
14 The people of Joseph said to Joshua, “Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people, and the Lord has blessed us abundantly.”
15 “If you are so numerous,” Joshua answered, “and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites.”
16 The people of Joseph replied, “The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have chariots fitted with iron, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel.”
17 But Joshua said to the tribes of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—“You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment 18 but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have chariots fitted with iron and though they are strong, you can drive them out.”
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Columnist Herb Caen wrote in the San Francisco Chronicle: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up, it knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning, a lion wakes up, it knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or gazelle; when the sun comes up, you’d better be running”.
The children of Joseph needed to fight against the Canaanites and displace them because their lot in the Promised Land was small. They desired an additional lot to be allocated to them. But because the Canaanites that dwelt in the valley had chariots of iron and were strong, they could not fight, defeat and get more land. Therefore, they had to remain in a tight environment, bordered by an enemy nation with potential to unseat them in the future.
Life sometimes leaves us with few options. You either face life battles and win or you rest and be conquered. The children of Joseph were told they either fight and dominate the environment, or be conquered and dominated by their enemies. Under such situations, it becomes necessary to fortify oneself and take on the enemy.
We must understand the power of our God and stop highlighting the advantages of our adversaries. We must be fervent in prayers as we take on the enemies of our faith. Even when it appears we are comfortable, we must realise that the battle is not over yet. Each time we wake up to see a new day; we must not rest on our oars until we reach heaven’s finishing line.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Run the race of survival ever.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Psalm 61-67
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Conquer or Be Conquered – by Pastor W.F Kumuyi
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Daily Manna 10 April 2022
