““…You shall not have one allotment only, but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”” Josh. 17:17-18
Whew. Sigh. You’ve finally arrived after what seems like an incredibly long journey at the destination where you believe God wants you. Perhaps a new relationship. New job. New location. New opportunity. New house. New career. Finally free from an addiction. Finally healed from a sickness. In school. Finally ready. You’ve arrived. Now you can finally rest. Relax. Unwind. Enjoy the blessings God has set before you. Enjoy your new destination. You’ve arrived at a new land. The land you believe God promised you. You’ve done your best to obey the Lord getting there. You’ve repented as needed. You’re ready. A new start. Something good. It has to be. Beautiful. After all, it’s from God. Now wait. Why does the destination seem like a fixer upper, whether it’s a person in need of big changes, a relationship in need of big work, a house in need of serious repairs, a job with issues from the start, a life that seems so hard when you figured addiction free means it’s all downhill from here? God wouldn’t give you a fixer upper, would He? Not to mention people standing in the way of your great promise? Surely it wasn’t God who led you there, right?
I don’t know your situation, where you come from, where you have arrived, or if God has truly led you there by His Spirit through His Word if you’re a committed Christ follower, but I can tell you this. Sometimes God gives us fixer uppers. And even with people challenges to face before we fully enjoy the new destination. Sometimes the fixing up process is exactly what God knows we need to be refined, to grow in His image, to be conformed to Christ, to be convicted, chastened, corrected, to learn to walk in His love and mercy, to bear the fruits of His Spirit like patience and peace. To help someone. To test our faith. Most of all to learn to trust Him more and grow closer to Him. God know what He’s doing.
When the Israelites arrived after a long journey at the land God promised them, they found a forest and strong people in their way. He used their leader Joshua to tell them to clear the land, possess it, and drive out their opposition. A fixer upper! But the promise remained. Before you quit, turn away, turn back, or go elsewhere, stop. Seek the Lord. If this is the destination He has led you to, remain. Seek His face. Yield to His Spirit. Feed steadily on His Word. Follow His lead. Don’t miss why He brought you there. If it’s a fixer upper with people challenges, He will lead, guide, and strengthen you to possess the land and grow in the process. Remember to give God the glory for the land He has given you!