Joshua 15:20-63 – Progressing incrementally with the Lord

 In Joshua 15:20-63, we are given a list of cities as well as villages that were allotted to the tribe of Judah. These places were granted to them so that they could continue with God’s expansion program for the nation. However, we read of their failure in verse 63. It says, “Now as for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the sons of Judah could not drive them out; so the Jebusites live with the sons of Judah at Jerusalem until this day.” This is one sad situation of life since the fall of man. There will always be areas of life that we need to look at. All of us should strive toward perfection, but we must not be a perfectionist. For as far as we are on earth we need to go through the process of sanctification. Our weaknesses should get fewer as we journey with the Lord. Be assured that they are only there to keep us trusting the Lord and lean on Him so that we can overcome each one.  

We must be reminded by these verses that we must overcome life incrementally. Heathenism, worldliness, unbelief, pride and sinful tendency are areas we must deal with progressively. 1 John 1:10 says that “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” But we take comfort in 1 John 1:9 that assures us that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The fact of our propensity as a result of the fall should propel us to look forward to wholeness. We will always be frustrated and disappointed if we are not striving toward the wholeness we can have in Christ. He has sent His Holy Spirit alongside us so that with His help we can grow in the fruit of the Spirit. God is in the business of transforming our lives and changing us from one degree of glory to another. Let us not stay spiritually static but flow dynamically with the spirit and advance incrementally.