Laying Claim

This morning, feeling discouraged and very, very lonely, I crossed over into belligerence and decided that since I couldn’t have what I really wanted, I would ask for everything I could think of that I sort of wanted. The premise was wrong (the Lord has promised me what I really want, so it isn’t accurate to say I "can’t have" what I really want) but the idea—asking the Lord for everything I want—is sound. It cheered me up.

As the day wore on, the cheer fizzled. Little anxieties crept in here and there, and by this evening I was feeling every bit as discouraged and lonely and hopeless as I had this morning. I recognized the trend. It was this same sort of feeling that propelled me to put an addition on my house. When I realized that, I caught a glimpse of a principle that I am going to attempt to portray to you.

When Israel was ready to cross the Jordan, they could have stood there for the remainder of their lives, asking the Lord for the land of Canaan. Nothing would have happened. I’ve heard a bit in recent years about "claiming," but usually it’s nothing more than a verbal re-phrasing of a request. Instead of saying, "Lord, please give me …" people say, "Lord, I claim …" but nothing changes. As long as you’re standing at the Jordan when you’re supposed to be stepping into it, nothing changes.

Sometimes waiting is all that we can do, and sometimes if we did step out, we’d be doing it without God’s blessing. When you have walked with the Lord for a while, however, you will hear Him telling you to step into your Jordan. And if you hear His voice, and if you don’t harden your heart, you will be in a position to claim what is yours.

You see, the Lord has given His blessing to my preparing my nest for being inhabited. I don’t currently possess everything I need to pay for it all, but I do have what I need to take the next step. There is absolutely no point in me whining about being lonely, or about what God hasn’t done or hasn’t given me, when there is another step I could be taking. Maybe there is only one step I can take, but I can take only one step at a time, anyway. The only step I can take is the next one.

This morning I asked the Lord for this and that regarding my house. I could ask and ask and ask, but I know He’s already given it to me. It’s up to me to talk to the contractors about replacing my clothesline and the roof on the shed and the garage door. It’s up to me to order windows and pick a color for my sitting room.

I’ve asked, and in my heart I’ve received. Now it’s time to lay claim; it’s time to take the next step.

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