Sometimes Ya Gotta Walk The Thing Out

Genesis 13:17 God spoke to Abraham to "Arise, walk through the land, the length and breadth of it, For I will give it to you." (ESV)

Abraham had to walk that "thing" out. He had to walk the land before he could have it. He had to be obedient to the Lord and walk it out, He had to cover the ground he was told to cover, he had to walk the entire place front to back and side to side. Abraham had to survey the land, get to know the lay of the it. He was able to understand the hills and valleys. He became familiar with the territory and was able to determine where to plant, where to harvest, where to dig wells and where the enemy had taken ground.

Sometimes we have to walk this "thing" out with the Lord. We have to be obedient to walk the land while the enemy is still living there, before the dream is ours. We must survey the land, learn what we must and cover the ground from front to back, side to side. We must learn where to plant, where to harvest, where to dig wells and where the enemy must be driven out.

This sounds so easy when you imagine a property that is in town or even a city block, or perhaps you were raised in the country and you imagine this land to be 100 acres or so. The bible does makes this sound like it was done quickly as the next scripture Abraham pitches a tent and takes possesion of the land. However, the land was approximately 150 miles x 40 miles. Genesis 15:18-21 tells us the boundaries of the land. That is a huge amount of land to cover. Abraham was told to walk it out. AND then the Lord would give him the land.

When the Lord gives us our "land" somtimes we have to walk it out. Sometimes we have to see where the bundaries are. We need to understand where to plant, where to harvest and where to dig wells. We need to know where the enemy has taken ground. The very next scripture says that Abraham moved his tent. He took possession of his promise. Over 400 years later, Moses is told to take the land and does not take possession of it. MOses missed his promise. He died outside the land he was promissed. The Israelites surveyed the land and did not move their tents. Because of that, they did not see the promise of the land that was given them.

I do not know what metaphorical land God has promised you. I do not know how large it is or what it looks like. I do not know where to pitch your tent, where to plant or harvest, where to dig the wells or even where the enemy has taken ground. What I do know is, we must walk this thing out and then take possession. Just as the land was vast and large and must have taken Abraham a great deal of time to go to the borders and claim what God had given him, it may also take you a while to walk the land the Lord says is yours. But walk it. Survey it. Kick the enemy out. Dig the wells. Plant. Harvest. Take possession of it. It is worth it and more than you can ask, dream or imagine.