To good to be true
“These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun. ~ Numbers 34:17
Have you ever understood that God had promised you something, but it seems like it was just too good to be true? Maybe you’re waiting for a breakthrough or striving for a vision He has placed in your heart, but it feels as though you’re stuck at the starting line, overwhelmed and afraid to take that next faith step. Today’s scripture reading is a reminder that God has already set apart the “land” or the victory He promises His people, and He gives us the plan to step into it.
As God’s people in the world today, it can be easy to get caught up in the hustle of trying to make things happen on our own. But God’s promise still stands, and He will lead us into the places He has planned and arranged for us. The key is to trust His direction, follow His instructions, and walk in His timing.
Here are three truths to consider as you read this passage in Numbers 34, especially when God’s promises feel too good to be true.
1. God has a designated an inheritance for each one of us.
God did not give the Israelites a vague or general promise. He clearly defined the borders and boundaries of their inheritance, showing that what He had prepared for them was intentional and specific. In the same way, God has a personal and purposeful plan for each one of our lives, even when it feels bigger or better than expected.
Be intentional in seeking God for His vision for your life and the calling He has placed within you. When His plan feels overwhelming or too good to be true, remember that God works in seasons. Trust that He is guiding you step by step into the blessings and purpose He has already prepared for you.
2. God’s promises require action.
Although the land was promised, the Israelites still had to step in, possess it, and fight battles along the way. God’s plan did not unfold without obedience and courage. A promise that feels overwhelming or too good to be true still requires faith to move forward. It will not happen without your cooperation and following His leading.
Ask God to show you the next step of faith He is asking you to take. You do not need to see the entire plan or understand how it will unfold. Keep moving forward, trusting that God will equip you for each step as He reveals them to you.
3. God is the One who divides the land.
The distribution of the inheritance was not left to human decision but was entrusted to God’s appointed leaders. This reminds us that God’s plan inclueds the timing, placement, and path of every blessing. What He prepares for you is never accidental and requires you to be intentional with each step.
Surrender the outcome to God. Trust that He will bring you into the right place at the right time, even when the path does not look easy or logical. God strategically places His blessings along the path He designed, and following His direction positions you to receive what He has already planned.
I remember when I finally began pressing in to hear God’s direction instead of asking Him to bless my own plans. At first, it felt slow and uncertain. He had to walk me out of pits and traps I had fallen into by doing things my way. There were moments when His plan felt too good to be true, especially when I could not see how I would ever get from where I was to where He was leading me. Step by step, He stayed with me, even when I felt like I was not making progress. As I chose obedience and pressed into the Holy Spirit for His guidance for each decision, God began to reveal His purpose and gently redirected me from my own path onto His blessed plan. Ultimately, I realized that He had been trying to lead me into my inheritance all along.
My experience of God’s goodness showing up in my life only came after I surrendered my way of thinking and chose to believe that He wanted more for me than I could ever design on my own. That truth was revealed in practical ways, including the home I moved into when I was convinced I wanted to live somewhere else. I kept searching in the wrong places, focused on the moment, while God was seeing my lifetime. Following His leading to that location became one of the greatest blessings of my life and spared me from many heartaches. After that, I learned to trust Him with every decision, from custody of my children to my place of ministry and employment, to stepping into His blessed plan for my marriage and new and existing relationships. Each time I released control, I discovered that God’s plan, though it once felt too good to be true, was always better than anything I could have forced or manipulated on my own. All of these areas required me to take the steps that He gave, even when most times I had no idea how it was going to work out.
Today I want to encourage you to trust that God has already set your inheritance before you, and even though you may not see all of it yet, He is faithful to lead you into it. Remember that He has a “too good to be true” life designed for you as you keep taking steps of obedience, and know that He is with you, guiding you every step of the way.
Today’s scripture reading: Numbers 34
1 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land of Canaan, this is the land that shall fall to you as an inheritance—the land of Canaan to its boundaries.
3 Your southern border shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along the border of Edom; then your southern border shall extend eastward to the end of the Salt Sea;
4 your border shall turn from the southern side of the Ascent of Akrabbim, continue to Zin, and be on the south of Kadesh Barnea; then it shall go on to Hazar Addar, and continue to Azmon;
5 the border shall turn from Azmon to the Brook of Egypt, and it shall end at the Sea.
6 ‘As for the western border, you shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your western border.
7 ‘And this shall be your northern border: From the Great Sea you shall mark out your border line to Mount Hor;
8 from Mount Hor you shall mark out your border to the entrance of Hamath; then the direction of the border shall be toward Zedad;
9 the border shall proceed to Ziphron, and it shall end at Hazar Enan. This shall be your northern border.
10 ‘You shall mark out your eastern border from Hazar Enan to Shepham;
11 the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; the border shall go down and reach to the eastern side of the Sea of Chinnereth;
12 the border shall go down along the Jordan, and it shall end at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with its surrounding boundaries.’ ”
13 Then Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying: “This is the land which you shall inherit by lot, which the Lord has commanded to give to the nine tribes and to the half-tribe.
14 For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and the half-tribe of Manasseh has received its inheritance.
15 The two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan, across from Jericho eastward, toward the sunrise.”
16 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
17 “These are the names of the men who shall divide the land among you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun.
18 And you shall take one leader of every tribe to divide the land for the inheritance.
19 These are the names of the men: from the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;
20 from the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud;
21 from the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;
22 a leader from the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli;
23 from the sons of Joseph: a leader from the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod,
24 and a leader from the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;
25 a leader from the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;
26 a leader from the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan;
27 a leader from the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;
28 and a leader from the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud.”
29 These are the ones the Lord commanded to divide the inheritance among the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.
Journal:
- What is one area of my life where I feel God is calling me to move forward?
- How can I trust God more fully in the steps He is asking me to take?
- What is one way I can surrender the outcome to God and trust His timing?
The Daily Dose 