Mensa Otabil - Arise And Take What God Has Given You
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Well, today I’m concluding my rising series. As you know, for some time now, I’ve been discussing different topics involving the words «arise, » «rising, » or «rise.» I began with «Let God arise, » then I spoke about «Rise up and walk, » followed by «Rising above our shortcomings, » and last week I discussed «Rise and depart.» Today, I’m concluding with «Arise and take what God has given you.» As we read the Scriptures, we see that many times when God wants to do things for people, or when He wants people to do things for Him, He usually commands them to arise. This command is expressed numerous times in Scripture, so we’re going to look at four examples of these commands where God tells people to arise to possess something. Our first example comes from Genesis chapter 13. The second is from Deuteronomy chapter 2, followed by Joshua chapter 8, and then Judges chapter 9.
The first reading is from Genesis chapter 13, verses 16 to 17. This is God speaking to Abraham about the land He was promising him, and I want you to pay attention to what God says. In verse 16, He states, «And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth, so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered.» In verse 17, He tells Abraham, «Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.» Note that He instructs him to arise and walk in the land because He has given it to him.
Next, we look at Deuteronomy chapter 2, verse 24. This is when God commanded Israel to take possession of the Promised Land. It says, «Rise, take your journey, cross over the River Anon, and look, I have given into your hands Sihon, the Amorite king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it and engage him in battle.» He says to rise, take your journey, possess it, and engage in battle.
In Joshua chapter 8, verse 1, the Lord says to Joshua, «Do not be afraid nor be dismayed; take all the people of war with you and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land.» Again, God tells Joshua to arise.
The final scripture is from Judges chapter 7, verse 9. This is God’s instruction to Gideon after he had reduced his army to only 300 people. The verse states, «Now it happened on the same night that the Lord said to him, 'Arise, go down against the camp, for I have delivered it into your hand.'»
If you examine these four scriptures, you’ll notice a common theme: God told each of them to arise and take what He was offering them. He told Abraham that He had given him the land, but he must rise and walk in it. He informed Moses that He had given them the Amorite kings and their land, but he needed to rise and engage in battle. He conveyed to Joshua that He had given him the city of Ai, but he must rise and confront it. He instructed Gideon that He had given the Midianites into his hand, but he must arise and go against the camp. In each of these cases, God tells them what He has done and what they must do: «I have given you the land, but you must rise and take it.»
There are two essential ideas: first, we must know what God has given us. We cannot live our Christian lives merely hoping that things will happen for us. We must live with certainty and the knowledge of what God has given us. Secondly, we must take what God has given us—know it, take it. God says, «I have given it into your hand"—that’s the knowledge. But «rise and take it"—that’s the action required. We must know what God has given us, and we must take it.
Furthermore, when God says, «I have given to you, » you’ll often notice that the tense is in the past; it’s something God has already done. God concludes things in the Spirit, but what He has concluded in the Spirit must be manifested in the natural. He says, «I have given it to you; it’s done; rise and take it.» You must actualize it.
Between knowing what God has given to you and taking it, the pivotal word is arise. Everybody say, «Arise.» The three thoughts that help explain arise are: first, to arise means to stand upright, to take on the task, be prepared to face the challenge, and be alert. To arise is to stand up and take on the task. When God says, «I’ve given you something, » it doesn’t mean it has just happened in the natural; it has occurred in the spiritual, but He wants us to take it by first standing up and taking on the task.
Secondly, to arise also means to show up; it means to work toward what God has given you. Finally, to arise means to establish it, to make it happen. God said to each one of them, «I have given it to you; rise and take it.» The act of taking is sandwiched between the act of rising. Arising requires standing up, taking on the task, showing up, not shying away from the battle, and establishing it—making it happen.
We see from Scripture that we cannot be passive about God’s blessings. We cannot merely sit back and say, «God has done it, so there’s nothing for me to do.» God says, «I have done it; I have given it to you, but you must arise and engage in battle.» There is always activity required on our part in relation to the Word of God and His promises.
We’re going to look at a statement made by a character in the Bible named Jephthah. Most of you might have read about him. Jephthah was one of the judges of Israel during the time before Israel had kings. God raised judges during those days; these judges were fighters, deliverers, or warriors who fought the enemies of Israel and liberated them from bondage. After the time of the judge passed, the people would fall back into another bondage, prompting God to raise another judge. Jephthah was one of these judges. He was somewhat of a «bad boy, » a vagabond, because his mother was not the lawful wife, and he was expelled from town. Eventually, he became a fighter, and when Israel encountered trouble, they turned to him for help.
Listen to Jephthah’s response to the Ammonites, who accused Israel of taking their land. In Judges chapter 11, verses 23 and 24, Jephthah says, «Now the Lord God of Israel has dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel; should you then possess it? Will you not possess whatever Chemosh, your god, gives you to possess? So whatever the Lord our God takes possession of before us, we will possess.» Jephthah’s logic is fascinating: he is saying to the Ammonites that if their god, Chemosh, says they can take the land, they would obey. How much more should Israel take possession of the land if Jehovah God has declared it theirs?
Jephthah emphasizes that they must possess what God has given them. He didn’t say whatever God gives to us is ours; rather, whatever God gives to us, we must actively possess. We cannot let it slip away because of disobedience or indifference. Jephthah asserts that the Ammonites only claim the land because their god says so, while Israel lays claim to the land because Yahweh has decreed it.
It’s noteworthy that often those who worship idols are more faithful to their idols than believers are to God. If a person who consults a fetish is told to act in a specific way, they will follow through diligently. Yet, when it comes to believers, many run from the instructions given by God.
Jephthah states clearly that they took the land because God said to. Likewise, when God gives you salvation, you must possess it. When He offers healing, you must grasp it. When He grants you wealth, you must claim it. We cannot declare ourselves poor when God calls us rich; we must possess the riches He promises.
God requires effort in claiming what He has destined for us. The enemy will always challenge your claims. If you declare that God has spoken to you, be certain that opposition will arise. Champions are forged through struggle; they do not emerge from comfort.
If you’ve seen the «Rocky» series starring Sylvester Stallone, you’ll note after each fight, Rocky bears bloodied scars but holds onto his championship title. Life will hit you hard, but you must not lie down. You may be bruised and battered, but resilience is key, as God has called you to be a champion. After enduring challenges, you hold onto your title.
Remember, battles yield rewards. Winning your battles leads to greater treasures in life, whether in marriages, careers, or education. If we look at couples who have been married for decades, it’s important to recognize that behind their smiles lies a history of struggles and difficulties. They persevered through challenges, not just drifting through life.
Whatever God entrusts to us, He grants us the grace to handle it amidst the battles we face. Never underestimate the power of grace. God trains us for warfare; Psalm 144:1 states that He trains our hands for battle. He prepares us ahead of time, and when we find ourselves in the thick of it, we must remember the lessons learned during training.
Furthermore, God teaches us how to profit; Isaiah 48:17 says, «The Lord your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am the Lord your God who teaches you to profit.» Each of the biblical characters faced battles for what God had given them, and they had to be trained for those battles.
We must not only express good intentions; we need to actively rise up and take hold of what God has given us. Don’t shy away from the battles; they are part of the process. What you need to take hold of will involve conflict, but remember, the Lord is with you.
In conclusion, God rewards those who overcome. The rewards go to those who emerge victorious. In the book of Revelation, we see how everything concludes, which highlights the fate of those who endure and overcome. Revelation 2:26 states, «And he who overcomes and keeps My words until the end, to him I will give power over the nations.»
In Revelation 3:12, it’s said, «He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God.» In Revelation 3:21, it states, «To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.»
Revelation 21:7 declares, «He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son.» However, the cowardly and disobedient will not inherit these promises. Cowardice is highlighted as a severe failing; when we shrink back from what God commands, we are not fulfilling our purpose.
Overcomers are not cowards. We must proclaim that we are ready for battle; we will fight for our destinies. If God declares that we are the head, we will strive toward that headship.
Life may throw you harsh punches, but you must rise again and fight on. God has ordained you for something great, and you must possess it.
As I conclude, let me remind you: God rewards those who overcome. When the required battle is fought and won, the rewards follow. In all areas of life, the spoils of battle are for those who overcome adversity. Everyone must vigorously battle for what they believe is rightfully theirs.
So, let us pray now. Stand and spend the next three minutes in fervent prayer, declaring that you will possess what God has promised you, both for your marriage and your children. Embrace your future boldly. The battle must be faced. In the name of Jesus, we refuse cowardice and advance boldly! Amen! Give a mighty shout of victory!