If you wanna see the view, you gotta do the climbing...

"It is mountainous... it is wooded... and there are strong inhabitants with iron chariots.
But it shall be yours."
Joshua 17:18 (paraphrase)

This verse is part of Joshua speaking to the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the children of Joseph.  The Promised Land is being divided up among the Israelites.  That's a good thing.  Anytime you are getting something that God has promised you, it's a blessing.  But this verse, in its entirety, seems to be:  promise, then warning... promise, then warning... promise, then warning...  It reads:  "the mountain country shall be yours.  Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots, and are strong."

Taking possession of the Promised Land was not going to be easy, for any of the Israelites.  The land itself presented challenges, and there were already people living there.  There were many battles, and much hard work ahead of them.

But the truth is, there are precious few good things in this world, that don't come with some effort, or some pain.  Paychecks come only after the work is done.  Babies come only after labor.   Promotions, good test scores, and really, growth of any kind, comes after a struggle to achieve.

Are you better than you used to be?  It wasn't easy, was it?  Learning to walk, whether as a baby, or a Christian learning to walk in the Spirit, is accomplished only with a lot of falling down.  But the reward will get you places you couldn't even dream of, when you first started.

The promise is waiting for you.  But it's not going to come to you.  Getting there will not be easy.  But you will inherit the blessing He has for you.

{To Rabbit:  Happy Birthday!}