Take Possession of the Land!!
Our church is reading through the bible together this year and I have really enjoyed it. As many times as I have read through the the OT books of Israels history I still get moved by many of the stories of faith and boldness for God.
One thing that stuck out to me recently really hits home with me regarding my own leadership and the leadership community of Crossroads. Over and over God tells His people that He is going to give them a land of their own. A land flowing with milk and honey, He calls it. This was one of the covenant aspects between God and Abraham that was continually promised to his descendants. Not until the days of Joshua was that covenant promised ultimately realized. God’s sovereignty is seen in that He said over and over, “I will give you the Land”, “I will drive out it’s inhabitants”, and “I will deliver them into your hand”. God did give them the land. He did in many supernatural ways (Jericho, Aia) deliver much more powerful nations into the hands of the Israelite’s.
But do you know what stuck out to me? The Israelite’s had to take possession of the land! They had to go fight! They had to wield the sword! They had to kill people! They had to “take possession”. This was their responsibility!
I find that in my life leadership is the same way. (not killing people-ha) I am realizing that I need to focus on leadership development in my own life and even more so in the life of our leaders at Crossroads! Because of that I am taking some intentional time to focus on that and how to do it over the summer. One book I just started is “Shepherding Horses” 
by Kent Humphreys which was given to me (somewhat prophetically) by a church builder I met for the very first time in my office a few weeks ago. In this book, I highlighted the following quote…
“you, pastor, have been called to shepherd these leaders [stubborn horses]. Only the Living God can equip you to this task. He is able and ready, and He will accomplish it through you…if you so choose”
God has called me, equipped me, able to equip me more, develop me, and use me to lead other leaders!! (He will give me the land), but I must choose to train them, lead them, influence them, show them, challenge them. (I must take possession of the land)! What a powerful learning this is in my life right now!!
The same is true for you, leader! God has called you and is able to do it. But you and I must “take possession of the land!” We must step up and lead. We must make the appointment. We must engage with the ones we are leading. We cannot lead from a distance and hope that “they read my email!” (Have you noticed email is not working like it once did?) We must wield the sword, we must actively pursue influencing others. God will do it and He is more than able, but for whatever reason, He WANTS to use us, just like He did with those bold men and women of faith in the bible.
I encourage you and challenge you and myself, to take possession of the land….LEAD!
MK
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