In Genesis 22 (NIV) we read of God’s call to Abraham’s to sacrifice his son Issac on Mt Moriah. He went through all the motions to do so in full obedience to the Lord, but then was stopped short just as he raised the knife over his son. After that we read that,
15 “The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time 16 and said, “I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, 18 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
I think it could be said that ultimately, the “Promised Land” was not just a wonderful place on earth for Abraham’s descendants to settle into and live out their lives. That was merely the context for their true calling. The real promised land, if you will, was the prospect of living in such a way that their joyful relationship to their God would be made available to the whole world.
Let’s fast forward to your life. Where you live, what you do for a living, or what activity occupies most of your time is merely context. Your true Promised Land is being the kind of person whose thoughts, words, and ways constantly expose others to your joy in God and God’s love for them. And just as Abraham's descendants faced enormous opposition in the course of possessing the Promised Land, so Satan opposes you. He knows that the more you enter into God’s ultimate purpose for you, the more your life will spread the joy of life with God to everyone who knows you.
You have a wonderful calling. So stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:58) You will win many hearts with Jesus and for him.
