Verse of the day: Joshua 19:47 And the coast of the children of Dan went out too little for them: therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.
The Tribe of Dan was a large and powerful tribe. Yet, they were only given a small portion of land. I immediately noticed that unlike Ephraim and Manasseh, this tribe did not complain about what they received. Instead, they took action to claim that which God promised He would give them. Their placement was not random, but was strategic in God’s providence (which I will explain in a moment). The Book of Judges recounts for us the results of the Israelites failure to completely remove the Canaanites from this land (they became a thorn in their side). We see the results of Israel doing what was right in their own eyes. Before we criticize them, let us be mindful of the fact that many of us, in many instances, choose to do what is best in our own eyes over what God tells us is best. In our own reasoning, if we were the ones dividing the land today, we would be looking to give the bigger tribes more land and the smaller tribes less, in accordance to what we perceive their needs would be. This is logical thinking. However, we must remember one important fact about why God allowed this particular scenario to play out. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the LORD. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” I mentioned before that God’s providence play a part in the placing of this tribe on this particular portion of land. In Judges 13 we read the story of Samson, one of the judges of Israel. Judges 13:1-2 & 5 tell us, “Again the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years. 2 Now there was a certain man from Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and had no children.” 5 “For behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. And no razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb; and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.” What we do not realize when we read this account in Joshua is that the Tribe of Dan was placed in a location where the Philistines were their neighbors to the west, positioning the tribe in the perfect place for God to raise up Samson who would begin to deliver the Israelites out of the hands of the Philistines. We may not always understand why God allows certain situations into our lives, or why He chooses to give us little or much at certain times. We may not understand why God allows things to unfold in ways that make no earthly sense to us, but ultimately God knows EXACTLY what He is doing, and why He allows the things He allows. We must trust less of our own wisdom and put our complete faith and trust in Him. Proverbs 3:5-8 reminds us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil. 8 It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” God has a plan for each of us, but too often we get in the way when we choose to do things our way. We push back and we complain when God allows challenges to come or when He does not give us what we want, when in reality He is positioning us to do things that are much greater than we could imagine or foresee. We must walk with the Lord, each day, prayerfully, and seeking His will and plan for us, in His Word. What may seem irrational and irrelevant to us today may be exactly what God needs to allow today so that we can glorify Him in how He uses us tomorrow. We must let go of the reigns of our lives and give God full control. He sees today and know what He needs to allow, or not allow, in order to give us a better tomorrow, for our best and His glory (Romans 8:28-29).
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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