Selling out

“‘If we have found favour in your eyes,’ they said, ‘let this land be given to your servants as our possession. Do not make us cross the Jordan.’” Numbers 32:5
Imagine this: the children of Israel had been wandering in the wilderness for forty years because the previous generation had not had the faith to enter the Promised Land. Now they are on the verge of entering in, when the tribes of Reuben and Gad come to Moses and say, “You know what, we like it on this side of the river. We don’t need to enter in. We’ll take our inheritance here.”
They sold out short. After forty years of wandering, and 450 years of waiting for God’s promise to Abraham to be fulfilled, these two tribes (and half the tribe of Manasseh also) didn’t enter the Promised Land. Why? Because of their possessions – they had much livestock.
We see a similar thing in the New Testament with the rich young man who came to Jesus. Ultimately he went away sad, because he was not willing to part with his possessions.
This calls for some self-examination. Are we guilty of the same thing? Have we truly entered in to the fullness of the blessing God desires to give us, or is the love of our possessions holding us back? God did allow the two-and-a-half tribes to inherit land on the eastern side of Jordan, but they were disadvantaged – always the first to be attacked by their enemies. He won’t force you to go further than you want to. He will let you stay in a place of limited blessing. The choice is yours.