By Josie Siler
It’s not fair! If you’ve been around kids (or anyone for that matter) this is a phrase that you’ve heard time and again. This phrase is often exclaimed in an extra whiny voice, drawn out for greater impact.
There are a lot of things in life that just don’t seem fair. Human beings seem to have an intense need to compare ourselves to our fellow man, woman, and child. We want what we don’t have and it’s easy to become jealous of those who have what we long for.
What do you long for? A home? A spouse? New clothes? More chocolate? Good health?
When we see how God has blessed others, how do we react? Do we get jealous and angry with God and question His wisdom? God, why did you heal that person and not me? I deserve to be well just as much as they do, even more. It’s just not fair, God!
I wonder how the Levites of the Bible felt when God didn’t give them a piece of the Promised Land. Joshua 13:33a (ESV) says, “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance…”
God told Moses to give an allotment of land to each of the tribes – except the tribe of Levi. How fair is that?! The Promised Land is something the people of Israel had been looking forward to for years. They had wandered in the desert and now it was time to finally move into the land that God promised them.
Everyone got land, except the Levites. Did they complain? Did they feel jilted? Did they long for a piece of land to call their own? Or did they see the better gift God had given them?
It’s easy to stop at the first part of verse 33 and scream, “Hey God, that’s not fair!” Many times in life we are premature to complain, to cry foul. Yet, God had something better for the Levites – the gift of Himself. Joshua 13:33b says, “…the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.”
It’s not fair! If you’ve been around kids (or anyone for that matter) this is a phrase that you’ve heard time and again. This phrase is often exclaimed in an extra whiny voice, drawn out for greater impact.
There are a lot of things in life that just don’t seem fair. Human beings seem to have an intense need to compare ourselves to our fellow man, woman, and child. We want what we don’t have and it’s easy to become jealous of those who have what we long for.
What do you long for? A home? A spouse? New clothes? More chocolate? Good health?
When we see how God has blessed others, how do we react? Do we get jealous and angry with God and question His wisdom? God, why did you heal that person and not me? I deserve to be well just as much as they do, even more. It’s just not fair, God!
I wonder how the Levites of the Bible felt when God didn’t give them a piece of the Promised Land. Joshua 13:33a (ESV) says, “But to the tribe of Levi Moses gave no inheritance…”
God told Moses to give an allotment of land to each of the tribes – except the tribe of Levi. How fair is that?! The Promised Land is something the people of Israel had been looking forward to for years. They had wandered in the desert and now it was time to finally move into the land that God promised them.
Everyone got land, except the Levites. Did they complain? Did they feel jilted? Did they long for a piece of land to call their own? Or did they see the better gift God had given them?
It’s easy to stop at the first part of verse 33 and scream, “Hey God, that’s not fair!” Many times in life we are premature to complain, to cry foul. Yet, God had something better for the Levites – the gift of Himself. Joshua 13:33b says, “…the Lord God of Israel is their inheritance, just as he said to them.”
The Lord God of Israel is their inheritance. That’s incredible! You see, God didn’t give the Levites land because He wanted them to be mobile. He didn’t want them tied down to a piece of land; He wanted them to be free to go wherever He asked them to go. He wanted them to be free to serve Him in the Tabernacle without worrying about taking care of land too.
Not giving the Levites a gift of land was a blessing. It would have tied them down and given them unnecessary responsibilities. Did the Levites realize the gift God was giving them or did they long for the same thing everyone else was getting?
If you love and follow Jesus Christ you’re simultaneously living in two worlds, the physical world and the spiritual world. It’s easy to get caught up in the physical world, especially when we’re sick and in pain. Yet the physical world isn’t the most important. We need to fix our eyes on Christ. When we focus on the spiritual world, it makes the things of this physical world seem less important.
What’s a home when Christ is preparing a special place for us? What’s a spouse when we have a relationship with the God of love? What are new clothes when we’re clothed in righteousness? What’s a little chocolate compared to the sweetness of knowing God? What’s good health when we’ve been given the gift of God Himself?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s an intimacy with Christ that can only come through suffering. When God allows us to suffer, we have the opportunity to grow closer to Him in ways that are only possible through pain and trials. We can see how bright the light of Christ really is only because we’ve known such deep darkness.
We are each being conformed into the likeness of Christ, the Holy God who became human and suffered greatly. Yet He didn’t just suffer, He overcame pain, humiliation, and ultimately death all to save us. He has given us the gift of Himself, and that is the very best gift of all.
God may give you everything you desire. He may give you a beautiful home, a loving spouse, a new wardrobe, a lifetime supply of chocolate, and perfect health. Or He may just give you the gift of Himself and ask you, “Am I enough?”
He is enough. He’s more than enough! Will you accept your inheritance of God Himself?
Not giving the Levites a gift of land was a blessing. It would have tied them down and given them unnecessary responsibilities. Did the Levites realize the gift God was giving them or did they long for the same thing everyone else was getting?
If you love and follow Jesus Christ you’re simultaneously living in two worlds, the physical world and the spiritual world. It’s easy to get caught up in the physical world, especially when we’re sick and in pain. Yet the physical world isn’t the most important. We need to fix our eyes on Christ. When we focus on the spiritual world, it makes the things of this physical world seem less important.
What’s a home when Christ is preparing a special place for us? What’s a spouse when we have a relationship with the God of love? What are new clothes when we’re clothed in righteousness? What’s a little chocolate compared to the sweetness of knowing God? What’s good health when we’ve been given the gift of God Himself?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there’s an intimacy with Christ that can only come through suffering. When God allows us to suffer, we have the opportunity to grow closer to Him in ways that are only possible through pain and trials. We can see how bright the light of Christ really is only because we’ve known such deep darkness.
We are each being conformed into the likeness of Christ, the Holy God who became human and suffered greatly. Yet He didn’t just suffer, He overcame pain, humiliation, and ultimately death all to save us. He has given us the gift of Himself, and that is the very best gift of all.
God may give you everything you desire. He may give you a beautiful home, a loving spouse, a new wardrobe, a lifetime supply of chocolate, and perfect health. Or He may just give you the gift of Himself and ask you, “Am I enough?”
He is enough. He’s more than enough! Will you accept your inheritance of God Himself?
“For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” – Ephesians 1:15-21
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