Don’t Take Possession of What is Not Yours!
We saw yesterday how King Ahab and Jezebel plotted to get Naboth killed so that they could then take possession of the vineyard they wanted, which had belonged to him. And we see in 1 Kings 21:15: “As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, ‘Go up and take possession of the vineyard that he refused to sell to you.’”
Jealousy and Stealing
It didn't belong to him. It was not his to have. But he went and took possession of it. And as I read that, I thought to myself, it's so easy for us to want to take possession of things that aren't ours to have. It's so easy for us to get jealous and want things we don't need and to force our way into getting them instead of being satisfied with what we have.
It is a good thing to grow and to take possession of things that God enables us to. But friends, we mustn't take possession of things that are not ours to take. Of course, in its most basic way that means don't steal. Don't take something that is not yours without paying for it. But in a more subtle way, I wonder if we are coveting things that we don't need.
Wanting What God is Keeping From Us
It could be something like a raise or a promotion. I remember for the longest time wanting to go into ministry and have a church of my own to care for. And it didn't happen. It didn't happen. There were times when I got very frustrated, and I believe that God was saying, “You are not ready to take possession of this. You're not ready!” Don’t now go force your way in when you're not ready.
Do you need to maybe take a step back instead of pushing to take possession of something and say, “okay, Lord, in your time, in your time, I will trust in you to provide at the right time”? You see, if we long for things so much that they pull us away from God and we get obsessed with them, there's every chance that He's saying to us, “This is not yours to possess. I have something better for you, and I will bring it in time.”
Trust in God’s Provision!
Don't be like Ahab and Jezebel, who forced their way and took something that wasn't theirs. Friends. God will provide for you in just the right moment. Hold on to that in faith. Trust in him, oh trust in him! And when the time is right, he will give you possession of what he has in store for you.
