Joshua 14:1-5 - God has a part in all that we can potentially become

Israel had twelves sons namely, Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Reuben, being his firstborn, should have received a double portion of the inheritance. However, Genesis 49:4 reveals that he forfeited his right when he went up and defiled his father's bed, meaning he slept with his father's concubine. In Genesis 48 as Israel was nearing the time of his death, he adopted Manasseh and Ephraim, the two sons of Joseph, as his own sons. The double portion inheritance that was rightly Reuben's eventually went to Joseph, whose two sons were each given a portion of the possession. The tribe of Levi as we have learned were not given any land because God Himself would be their inheritance. What a privilege!

Joshua 14:1-5 provide us with a summary of the distribution of the territories of Canaan. The people involved in administering the distribution were Joshua, the God-appointed leader, Eleazar the priest and the heads of the household of each tribe of Israel. Reuben, Gad and half tribe of Manasseh were given the land east of Jordan. The rest of Canaan which was conquered under the leadership of Joshua was distributed to the rest of the nine and a half tribes of Israel. The lots were divided to each tribe according to the instruction of the Lord. There was no sign of partiality nor jealousy over the division. 

Just as God had granted the children of Israel the different parts of the promised land, the things we are given in life are granted by God's providence. Nothing happens to us by chance. God will guide and care for us in the big and small details of life. So we must learn to trust in His provision. And since God has a major say in our life, we must learn to yield and submit to His leading. We must allow His will to shape our lives. One thing we need to do is to trust that God in His wisdom knows what's best for us. He is dependable and we can lean and rely on Him in every step we take. Because we recognize that all that we have come from God, we learn to accept whatever lot is given to us. Then we do our best with His help to achieve the best outcome for His glory.