Following the Trail of God's Promises: The 40-Day ChallengeSample

25. God Is Bringing You Into a Good Land

Just 150 years ago, Mark Twain described Israel as “a desolate land completely given over to weeds, with hardly any trees.” The Negev desert alone makes up more than half of Israel's total land mass. The dynamism of the restoration of such a landscape begins with the creation of the kibbutz. The clearing of rocky areas for the development of modern agriculture and extensive reforestation programs have literally changed the face of Israel. The result is that Israel, today, fully produces food for its own needs, and the forested areas are five times larger than those in 1948. In accordance with biblical prophecies, cedars, Aleppo pine, common oak, pine and cypress grow in Israel today. Using drip technology and smart irrigation, the desert is literally blooming with fruit, as prophesied.

Let's go back 35 centuries! At the end of God's plan implemented through Moses (a stubborn man with a shy nature), there is a promise that God “is bringing you into a good land” (Deuteronomy 8:7). The promise stands as a reason-motive to endure and persevere on the way out of the land of slavery into the Promised Land. The Promised Land is not some imaginary land, but the actual geography of Israel. It is precisely this land that God shows Moses on Mount Nebo. The abundance of water, fruit, and resources of the Promised Land thus becomes the very picture of God's presence.

In God's presence, we can "eat and be full, and bless the Lord our God.”

PRACTICAL CHALLENGE

Day 25. God did not intend for only Israel to enjoy a good land. The good land today is not just for you and me. Who can you point in the direction of the good land? A family from the building where you live? A neighbor from the street? A student at university? A colleague from work? Who is in need, and can you point them to - even lead them to - the good land?