Are You in the Promised Land?

This was a question Pastor Popoy, our speaker in a church gathering for seniors, asked after he spoke of the Israelites’ 40-year journey in the wilderness. He looked at me, and specified my name. 

My knee-jerk reflex answer would have been “Yes!” But I hedged. I didn’t have the right words to explain why and I was afraid of being misunderstood. So I babbled about another part of the lesson. Whew!  

I told him later in confidence what my answer was. And he said, “I knew it. That was why I asked you.” 

To those who have put their faith in Jesus of course know that the Promised Land is heaven, where we will live forever someday as He promised. “The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26 NIV) 

While still on terra firma, however, the Promised Land is symbolic of a better place which we reach—after learning about humility, obedience, repentance, and dependence from our wilderness years. 

The Promised Land on earth is a womb where we have made a covenant of faithfulness with God so that we can live out our divine calling. It is where we are singularly focused on Him, using the talents he has entrusted to us for His glory.  

I believe that everyone who wants to reach the Promised Land in this mortal soil needs to be taken into the wilderness first to be sifted and taught the only thing we would ever need: Jesus. 

Like the Israelites, I wandered through the wilderness—and how! 

If I were to write all about those years, I’d end up with a weighty tome.  The wilderness is a life full of complaints, entitlements, failures, arrogance, bitterness, idol worship (fame, fortune, and every ego-boosting thing that the world offers), lack of trust in God, and stubborn hearts. 

In contrast, the Promised Land is where one is content, humbled, totally dependent on God, keeping in step with the Holy Spirit and not wanting more than our daily bread. 

And my earnest prayer is for grace to rein me in the Promised Land, and never let me stray to the wilderness. 

May I repeat Pastor Popoy’s question to friends who may be reading this?  Are you in the Promised Land?