Joshua 16: 4 "Now the sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim, received their inheritance." Why is this verse so significant? Jacob had promised to Joseph that his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, would receive Joseph"s portion (Gen. 48: 19-22).  Although Manasseh and Ephraim were named among the tribes of Israel, the final establishing of their inheritance would come when in the Promised Land.  Wow!  That would be 500 years later!  Then the land bearing their names would be allotted to them. 

Many stories and promises in the Bible take years and even centuries before they are fully developed and become reality. We live most of our life for the present, the things we can see, touch, and feel, and not for the promises of God. We must be faithful in our generation to obey God, and as best we can, to pass the faith along to the next generation.  If we only live for the present, there will always be things that greatly discourage and disappoint us, to the point that we might feel our life has been in vain. If we live, however, for the promises of God, then we have a deeper grasp on the fact that we are not seeing it all, but we can trust God for all! When Jacob promised the inheritance for Joseph, he would not fully realize or understand all that would mean because he would not see it.  However, he did believe and put his hope in God"s promises (Gen. 50; 25, Ex. 13: 17). Hundreds of years later, there would be "land" in Canaan that would bear the names of his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 

What things in our current life are we "setting our hope" on that we "ourselves" should fulfill? What things in our current life are we "setting our hope in God" to fulfill?  Our life will be defined and fulfilled based upon whom and for what we are really living! Either we are living for the present or we are standing on His promises!  God will fulfill every Promise that He has made because He keeps His Word (2 Cor. 1: 20).

In Christ,
Tommy Middleton

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