Devotional: What Has God Promised?

Deuteronomy 2 ‘“Then the LORD said to me, “Do not harass Moab, nor provoke them to war, for I will not give you any of their land as a possession, because I have given Ar to the sons of Lot as a possession’” (Deut. 2:9, NASB). In the movie War Room Miss Clara tells Elizabeth to study the scriptures to learn what God promises to give to her. She is to trust God to fight her battles and give her victory. Do we pray for things that God has not promised to give to us? In Deuteronomy Moses recounts to the Israelites their thirty-eight years of wandering in the wilderness because they had failed to believe and act upon God promises. In chapter 2 Moses tells the people that God will fight for them when they face their enemies. At the same time, God warns the people by the mouth of Moses not to engage in battle against their brothers in Seir (v. 4) and Moab (v. 9) because God has given these people the land in which they live. As Christians we sometimes disrespect others who do not share our faith. We may think that it is our duty to take possession of things that we think that God has promised to give to us. Chapter 2 informs us that God has not promised everything to the Christian community. God’s grace extends to all people. God gives the land of Canaan to Israel so that they can be a witness for God to the nations. This is what the church is commanded to do today (Matt. 28:18-20). God has not promised to give believers everything that non believers possess.