“Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess.”

Judges 11:24

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT

Why do we strive and try to earn what God has already paid for and credited to our account?

There is a quiet power in this declaration, a confidence rooted not in armies, nor in cunning, nor in wealth, but in the unshakeable certainty that God alone grants true possession. It makes me reflect on how often I chase after what the world offers while ignoring the gifts already resting in God’s hands, waiting for me to be received.

There is a rhythm here that I must not overlook: God gives, I receive. Possession is not passive; it is the living response to a divine granting. I imagine Jephthah standing there, knowing full well that the LORD’s hand is greater than the Ammonite god, greater than human strategy, greater than fear itself. He does not argue the validity of Chemosh; he merely points to the higher authority. And in that, there is a lesson for my soul: confidence comes not from what I can command or control, but from what God entrusts to me through faith in Him.

I feel challenged as I write this because so often I look at life and wonder if I am enough, if I have done enough, if the blessings I see around me are deserved. But Jephthah reminds me that my rightful inheritance in Christ is not earned through striving more. It is granted by God. My role is to recognise it, step into it, receive it, and steward it with courage and gratitude.

How easily I forget this. How often I gaze at someone else’s “successes” or someone else’s gifts and feel a pang of envy or fear. Yet the LORD, in His mercy, has already given me what I need, and much more besides. My task is to act with faith, to claim it boldly, and to cultivate it diligently.

To hesitate, to doubt, is to reject the very gift God has laid before me free of charge because I feel undeserving.

So today I choose to see life through the lens of God’s loving provision. I will no longer chase shadows while holding back from what is already mine in Christ. I will walk forward in confidence, knowing that every blessing and every opportunity is placed by His hand, not mine. And in doing so, I will steward these gifts faithfully, not for my glory, but for the expansion of His kingdom and the good of those around me.

PRAYER

Lord, help me to recognise Your gifts and to step boldly into what You have entrusted to me. Teach me to act in faith, to steward wisely, and to release all fear, envy, and doubt. May I possess the blessings You give with gratitude, courage, and generosity, reflecting Your glory in all I do. Amen.

I do not need to strive for God’s gracious gifts. All that is required is to receive them by faith.