Word of Encouragement (07/06/2023)
Then the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites came to Eleazar the priest and to Joshua the son of Nun and to the heads of the fathers' houses of the tribes of the people of Israel. 2 And they said to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, "The LORD commanded through Moses that we be given cities to dwell in, along with their pasturelands for our livestock." (Josh. 21:1-2)
This is another indirect prayer, this time made by the Levites to Eleazar, the high priest, and Joshua, God’s servant. When the land was distributed among the twelve tribes (to be more precise, the nine and a half tribes, excluding the two and a half tribes in the Transjordan region), the Levites came and made this request to the two leaders.
In today’s reflection, I’d like to make a simple point: we may pray with confidence when we pray according to God’s promise. So, we have this assurance: “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us” (1 John 5:14). This only makes sense. When we get a check from a very wealthy, trustworthy, and good person, we don’t have to worry whether it will clear or not. It is as good as cash while we have it. We can be sure that the bank will honor it when we try to cash it. Shouldn’t we be certain that God’s promise to us is far more reliable?
God’s promise to the Levites was that, even though they would not receive the inheritance of the land like the other twelve tribes, they would be given cities to dwell in among the tribes. Let us also observe that God’s promise had certain terms. This may be another obvious but important point: the Levites could not make the request until Israel conquered the promised land and the twelve tribes received their respective allotment of the land.
This is important to remember because God will not always answer our prayers immediately simply because we prayed according to His promise. There is the issue of timing. For our optimal enjoyment of His blessings, certain conditions must be met. We are told that God will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able (1 Cor. 10:13). In a similar way, we should expect that God would not grant us His blessings beyond what we can handle. For the Levites, it was the distribution of the land among the other tribes. For us, it could be the attainment of certain skills, whether educational or professional or spiritual. Or it could be the development of Christian character or certain Christian virtues.
Do you sometimes get discouraged because God’s answer doesn’t come as quickly as you want? Instead of merely thinking about what and when you need something, maybe you can start asking whether you are ready to receive it. And instead of doubting God’s love for you, maybe you can work on making yourself and your circumstances better prepared for His blessings while you are waiting for God’s timing.