Faith's Determination

The daughters of Zelophehad … came forward and stood before Moses, Eleazar the priest, the leaders and the whole assembly at the entrance to the tent of meeting and said, Our father died in the wilderness. He was not among Korah's followers, who banded together against the Lord, but he died for his own sin and left no sons. Why should our father's name disappear from his clan because he had no son? Give us property among our father's relatives.

Numbers 27:1-4

These five remarkable young women are a picture for us of the activity of faith. They came before Moses at a time when he was numbering the people of Israel in order to determine the allotment of land when they came into the promised land. And in the numbering, these girls came before him and they asked an unusual thing. They came reminding Moses that though their father had died in the wilderness, he had not been part of the rebellion of Korah. He was not part of those who forfeited their inheritance, and so they come asking for that inheritance. All of this takes place in the wilderness just before entrance into the land and, therefore, it is all done in faith. Israel does not have an inch of land yet. But by simple reckoning upon God's promise that they would have the land, they are already dividing it up by faith. And these girls come asking for a part of the inheritance.

Faith is the key note here. As in any age, faith is the watchword to blessing. There is nothing that will come into your life from God apart from the channel of faith. These girls are a demonstration to us of what faith is. The first step in faith is a determination. These young ladies were aware that God had given a promise of an inheritance in the land of Canaan to Israel. They knew that the promise involved a land of fruitfulness and blessing. And they desired to have the part in that which belonged to them. That land is a picture for us of the inheritance which is promised to us. Everyone who has come by faith to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has available to them an inheritance. This is not just something to come after death. This inheritance is for believers right now in this life. All things are already available to us in Jesus Christ. This is our inheritance. But we take it by faith. In other words, we can have as much as we determine to have. These girls determined to have their inheritance. They decided that they would take it. That is where faith begins. So vital and practical is this matter of faith, that each one of us is exactly as victorious as we want to be — no more. We have taken what we wanted, and we will never take more until we want more. That is what the whole fabric of Scripture sets before us.

Father, awaken my faith anew. Help me to realize that all is waiting for me to take it. There are no limits on your side; the limitations are only of my own imposition.