November 20, 2023

The princes of the tribe of Manasseh, one of the sons of Joseph, were concerned about the inheritance of Zelophehad, who had no sons, and the daughters were to receive his portion as commanded by God. They worried that his daughter's portion of land might be passed on to another tribe if they married into a tribe other than Manasseh's. It was a valid concern, so Moses commanded that the daughter should only marry men from their own tribe and that no land would pass to another if daughters were to inherit their father's land. 

The good news is that when God promises something, we can count on him fulfilling that promise, just as Israel expected. Do you see their faith in this? It is extraordinary! They were making plans and laws before they had even conquered the land. These plans were based on God's promises, and they didn't sit idly by but were proactive in sorting out the details. 

We know tribulation is approaching because God's word has told us about it. Are you prepared in case we must survive through a portion of it? Hard times may be waiting on the horizon, so listen when the Holy Spirit nudges you to get ready. Don't just sit there waiting on God to drop manna; you need to make a plan. What are you going to do if the grid goes down? Do you have a way to cook or a water source you can get to without electricity? Do you have nonperishable food stored? How are you going to protect what you have? Why would he tell us about tribulation if he didn't want us to ready ourselves; we wouldn't need to know these things if he planned to yank us out before it started. We have nothing to fear, but please think ahead like the Israelites, trusting that God's promises were trustworthy and true. Expect the best, but prepare for the worst.

And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well. This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, Let them marry to whom they think best; only to the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry. Numbers 36:5-6