Clear the Forest
“Then Joshua said to the house of Joseph, to Ephraim and Manasseh, “You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.””
A NUMEROUS AND POWERFUL PEOPLE
Joshua names the real strength of the house of Joseph before he challenges them — God sees your capacity before He asks more of you.
MORE THAN ONE ALLOTMENT
Ephraim and Manasseh wanted to settle for little. Joshua refuses the small ask and expands the inheritance God had reserved for them.
THE FOREST MUST BE CLEARED
The promised land was still covered in dense forest. God's inheritance sometimes arrives raw and requires labor before it bears fruit.
IRON CHARIOTS WON'T STOP YOU
The Canaanites had the most advanced military technology of the day. Joshua says they will still be driven out regardless.
TO ITS FARTHEST BORDERS
God doesn't offer a partial inheritance — He calls them to possess the whole land, out to where the eye can barely reach.
START CLEARING TODAY
Act: Identify the 'forest' in your life — the area that needs labor before it bears fruit — and take one practical step to clear it today.