WEBVTT

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Day 50, or February the 19th. Be wholehearted

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as you follow God. Our thoughts today are from

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Numbers chapter 33, verse 55. But if you do not

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drive out the inhabitants of the land, those

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you allow to remain will become barbs in your

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eyes and thorns in your sides. They will give

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you trouble in the land where you will live.

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And now the big picture surrounding this verse.

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Normally, when you think of the Promised Land,

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the area coincides with the present -day homeland

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of the Jews and the Palestinians, west of the

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Jordan River. The book of Numbers reminds us

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that some of the tribes chose to settle on the

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east side of the river, the land which is called

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the Kingdom of Jordan today. Reuben, Gad, and

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Manasseh, with permission from God, are planning

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to settle outside the promised land. This land

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looked good and very suitable for their large

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flocks, so they see it as a better option than

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crossing the Jordan with all the other tribes.

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The tribes on both sides of the river have their

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work cut out even though God is on their side.

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The locals will not give up their land easily.

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Most of the tribes are preparing to cross over

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and settle in the land promised by God. Not long

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to wait now, but God has more to tell them before

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the dream becomes a reality. And now today's

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action step. There's no more uncomfortable place

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than trying to have one foot in the world and

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the other foot in the kingdom of God. People

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in this predicament are often accused of sitting

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on the fence, but where spiritual matters are

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concerned, there is no fence. Jesus said, Anyone

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who isn't with me opposes me, and anyone who

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isn't working with me is actually working against

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me. That's in Matthew chapter 12 verse 30. God

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gives a solemn warning to the tribes of Israel

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as they prepare to enter the promised land. It

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can be summed up like this. Don't be half -hearted

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when you follow God. You have to decide. A half

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-hearted life satisfies no one. A life of commitment

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is more rewarding than you can ever imagine.

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Committed, you win. Half -hearted, you lose.