King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Pray Believing
Date: Sunday February 19, 2012
Today's Chapters: Numbers 33-36

Hello My Friend,

Perhaps one of the most frustrating things to do as a Christian is wait, we all want things, but we cannot have them all exactly when we want them. I often say to my kids in my Sunday school class, “If you prayed for God to give you are car would He give it to you right away?” Of course, they laugh and say no unless it was a toy, I proceed to tell them, that while we can pray to God for anything, the timing in which He gives it often relates to how prepared we are to receive it. When we pray to God we are to pray believing and actually envision seeing it unfold, remember, without vision, the people perish, but those who pray believing will see what they have been asking for one day. Keep in mind, people, places, and things, play a part in how God answers prayer, “Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” - James 4:2-4.

It had been forty years since the Jews stepped foot off Egyptian soil and headed for the promised land, they journeyed from Rameses to the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho, a couple of times, now, their journey was about to end and a new one begin in the promised land, but before they could enter God gave them some final instructions and a stern warning.

“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein: for I have given you the land to possess it. And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families: and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance: every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth; according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit. But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell. Moreover it shall come to pass, that I shall do unto you, as I thought to do unto them.” - Numbers 33:51-56.

Once they crossed over the Jordan, they were about to enter a land full of temptation and wicked behavior. They were commanded to drive out all of the people and everything that would give them cause to sin. If they did not they would face constant affliction and suffering, not only by them, but by God Himself. While we are to be cordial to all, God also gives us a stern warning to drive out anyone in our lives that would cause us to sin. Why? No matter how strong we are in our faith or how close we are to God, if the temptation remains eventually one will give into it, we are to separate ourselves from anyone who would lead us to sin, no matter how hard it would be. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?..Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” - 2 Corinthians 6:14,17,18.

God appointed Eleazar the high priest and Joshua to be the ones who would divide Canaan up for the tribes, each tribe was given a certain amount of cities according to the number or people in the tribe. Since Gad and Reuben chose to dwell outside Canaan and the Levi would receive their inheritance from God , that left nine tribes to be divided among the nation. “And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half tribe: For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance: The two tribes and the half tribe have received their inheritance on this side Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising.” -Numbers 34:13-15.

Now, all who receive and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior receive a part of the inheritance in the Kingdom of God and while our works do not get us to or keep us in heaven, they do determine how much of the inheritance we get. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.” - Matthew 16:24-27.

After God gave the instructions on where they would dwell He gave them instructions on where the Levites were to dwell. No, He did not leave the Levites out, since they were ministers of His service they were appointed cities to dwell in within each tribes inheritance . They were to be given forty-eight cities, six of those were known as cities of refuge. “Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them. And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle, and for their goods, and for all their beasts...And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge, which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither: and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.” - Numbers 35:2,3,6.

The Levites were given cities among all the tribes so they could minister to people without them having to go to the tabernacle every time. The cities of refuge were given as a safe place for an offender to dwell until either he was acquitted or had someone after him and needed a safe place to hide. Today, our refuge is Jesus Christ, as long as we dwell in His safe place. Jesus said, “And I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows. Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:” - Luke 12:4-8.

God will give us anything we ask for, but the key, we must ask Him, yes, He knows what we need, but just like anyone else, He will not give us anything unless we ask for it. Then, comes the hard part, waiting. Whether it takes one, five, ten, or forty years for God to answer a prayer we are to never stop praying, and to ask believing. “Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” - Mathew 21:21,22.

Today's Psalm: 21:4 - “He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.”

Today's Proverb: 29:18 - “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”

Today's Prayer: God, I know that everything is in Your timing and in Your will for me, and I also know that You promise if I ask anything believing that I will receive it. You know what is best for me and You know when I am truly ready to receive the things I am asking You for. Lord, help me endure the waiting, help me to serve You with all my heart, mind, and soul, and to remove any hindrances that may be keeping me from receiving some of the things I am asking You for. Open my eyes, help me to see beyond the surface and envision the amazing life You have for me as my prayers unfold before my very eyes. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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