“Walk about the land”

There are many places in the Bible where we see God acting or speaking in a certain way, and we cannot help but think to ourselves, “Why did he do that?” This really shouldn’t surprise us, in light of this statement made by God in Isaiah 55:8-9:

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

In this sense, the many stories in scripture are invaluable to us. Together, they give us the incredible opportunity to examine various things God has said and done throughout history, and in so doing, we begin to discover his “ways.” As we see God acting in a similar fashion through several different stories, we begin to see certain patterns, certain preferences that reveal God’s tendencies, his ways, “his method of operation” if you will.

And the more we understand God’s ways, the more insight we gain into our own circumstances, and how His invisible hand is moving behind the scenes of our life to accomplish His will.

In Genesis 13:17, God makes the following statement to Abraham, and in so doing reveals a powerful, recurring principle – both in scripture and in our lives today:

“Arise, walk about the land through its length and breadth; for I will give it to you.”

God had already told Abraham that He would give to his descendants the land of Canaan. (Genesis 12:7) Then, in 13:15, God told him that He would give the land to “You and your descendants.” Now God tells Him to get up and walk through the land, and the reason God gives him for this command is, “For I will give it to you.” The first question that comes to my mind reading this story is, why didn’t God just give Abraham the land? I mean if God wanted to give it to him, which He did, then He could certainly do it.

The answer to this question is the secret this passage reveals about one of God’s “ways.” God did want and fully intend to give Abraham the land but He wanted something else to happen first. He wanted Abraham to develop both a desire for and a hope of possessing the land and having him walk through the land, God was accomplishing both these ends. With each step Abraham took, he saw not only more of the land but also new dimensions of the land, new treasures and new wonders. And with each new discovery, his desire for that land continued to grow.

Consider your own life now. The Bible is filled with God’s promises and as a Christian these promises are our spiritual possession. And, in addition to the general promises of God that apply to every Christian, there are specific promises that God makes to us as individuals. But although God could fulfill all these promises in an instant, He doesn’t. Instead, He asks us to “walk about the land” of these promises, familiarizing ourselves with them, studying them, even dreaming about them – our desire and expectancy growing with each passing day. As we do, faith in God’s faithfulness to His word gives substance to our hope and, together with patience, brings the fulfillment of these promises in our lives. (Hebrews 6:12)

Maybe its time you asked yourself, have you “walked around” the promises of God today?