“And Caleb said, ‘Whoever strikes Kiriath-sepher and captures it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife.’” vs16

God has blessings for us, if we will seize them. Let us take courage and obtain. Venture your life upon God, and he’ll reward you handsomely. Every temptation to draw back… because of the world… must be banished. All cold heartedness must be fought off. We have an inheritance in God that must be obtained through warfare. There is peace, and there is obedience; there’s a clean conscience and usefulness in the kingdom; there’s contentment and joy.

Do not be deceived by the world, who says, “Your joy is over here.” Know that EVERYTHING is in Christ, and go all out! He wouldn’t have given the Son if our life was about something else. He wouldn’t have commanded us to fear God and obey, if something else made us happy. Ecclesiastes 12:13 — "The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." No, this is the one thing: Christ’s will must be our lives. We must walk with him by faith. This is the highest life and the best.

Take what God gives, and receive everything from his hand. Don’t seek any other thing. Don’t beg the world for illicit pleasures, when you have a giving and a satisfying God.

Secondly, be greedy in your appetite for godliness. Joshua 15:19 - "She said to him, "Give me a blessing. Since you have given me the land of the Negeb, give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.” Ask him for great things. Don’t take the bare minimums of the kingdom, but grow in grace and abound. 1 Thessalonians 4:1 — "Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more." This is your safety and your joy.

A half lived life is miserable! All out growth in grace is nearness to God and victory over the world. Don’t be the most carnal, the most cool, or the most worldly Christian. Be the most godly, and your joy will be full. John 16:24 — "Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

The Lord Jesus tell us to ask for whatever we want. Come to him by his own blood, and say, “Give me holiness, courage, and humility. Give me power over sin. Let my envy and lack of love be banished. Give me love for my enemies, and a desire to see people saved.”

He will give, because he is generous. Romans 8:32 — "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?" He will give us all things. Expand your reach in ministry, grow stronger in prayer, be optimistic for the kingdom. Advance your service.

This “give me,” life is a blessed leaning upon God in sweet communion. Anything you see in the spiritual realm, want it, and obtain. 1 Corinthians 12:31 — "But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way." 1 Corinthians 14:1 — "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

Thirdly, those who come to God for mercy get mercy. Joshua 15:63 - "But the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the people of Judah could not drive out, so the Jebusites dwell with the people of Judah at Jerusalem to this day."

You and I may be the worst believers, but our inheritance is full. We may have fallen, but we can’t lose Christ. There is no possibility of us being cast out. John 6:37 — "All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

The Jebusites came for mercy, and they got to stay in the heart of Jerusalem, even though they weren’t the tribe of Judah! This prime real estate is theirs, even though their pedigree is Canaanite. It doesn’t matter. A promise was made, and it must be kept. “Him that comes to me, I will for no reason”, and that is never ever, “cast out.”

There's no losing salvation, nor can we fall from grace, if we trust grace. There’s no being loved today and thrown away tomorrow. God doesn’t ghost his people. He ever remains faithful, when our hearts are cold. He loves us at our worst.