How do you overcome living just for earthly pleasures?

All the kings on the west side of the Jordan heard about this, including those in the highlands, the lowlands, and along the entire coast of the Mediterranean Sea toward Lebanon. They were Hittites and Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. They formed an alliance to fight Joshua and Israel.

Joshua 9:1-2 (CEB)

“Hivite” means, “villagers”. If you already read the previous article in this series on the Perizzites, you will remember that “Perizzite” means “belonging to a village”, which is very similar to the meaning of “Hivite”. This implies that many of the things we said about the Perizzites also apply to Hivites. As we said with the Perizzites, villages have a connotation of “limited vision”, implying that Hivites also have a limited vision of life. What makes them different from the Perizzites, however, is the way in which people under the influence of Hivite spirits limit their life.

The word “Hivite” is derived in Hebrew from the word chavvah, which means “life” or “living”. Since the word “Hivite” is related to the concept of “life” in Hebrew, we can infer that the Hivites’ vision of life is not one of limitation, poverty, and self-deprecation, as is the case with the Perizzites. On the contrary, Hivites love to “live it up”.

Because of all the abundance and grace that surrounds them, they limit the vision of their lives to merely enjoying the wealth and fame built up by their parents (or even themselves). Hivites turn into people with few ambitions in life; all they want to do is to travel around the world and have a “good time”. Such people are prone to believe that they have nothing else to do in life but relax and enjoy the wealth they have accumulated during their lives.

God wants us to enjoy life. In fact, Jesus Christ came that we may have the abundant life, and we are told in Ecclesiastes 3:12 that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while we live. It goes on to say that it is the gift of God when we eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all our work.

What God also expects from us is to live for Him whilst we are on earth and do good to those around us. Let’s consider the story of the rich fool:

Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:16-21

How do you overcome living just for earthly pleasures?

1. Set your mind on the things above, not on earthly things

Since we have been raised with Christ, we are encouraged to set our hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated on the right hand of God, and to set our minds on things above, not on earthly things (Colossians 3:1-2). We are also encouraged by the Psalmist to look up to the hills from where comes our help, for our help comes from the Lord who made heaven and earth (Psalm 121:1-2);

2. Fix your eyes on Jesus

Let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of faith (Hebrews 12:1-2);

3. Be hot in love with Jesus

Jesus told the Church in Ephesus that they had lost their first love and must repent and return to their first love (Revelation 2:4-5). We likewise must take the time out on a daily basis and seek a closer walk with Jesus and ask for the grace to love Him more and more;

4. Be Zealous for Jesus

Jesus told the lukewarm Church in Laodicea that they think they are rich and are increased with goods, but they do not know that they are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked. Jesus counselled this Church that they must be zealous and repent. A zealous person is one who is deeply committed to something. Likewise Jesus is calling us to overcome lukewarmness and be deeply committed to Him;

5. Be led by The Spirit

Let us walk by the Spirit so that we will not be doing what our sinful nature craves (Galatians 5:16). In order to be led by The Spirit, we have to ask God to fill us with His Holy Spirit and then we have to yield our mind, will, emotions and even bodies to the Holy Spirit. We must do what He tells us to do and refrain from doing what He tells us not to do. Even if we don’t get it right and we fail, we can go to God and ask Him to forgive us for He is ready and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Prayer

Dear Lord, please help me to live for You and to do good to others while I live in Jesus name.

For more information about the Hivite spirit and how to overcome them please visit here.

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How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

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What lessons can we learn from leaders who asked God for advice?

The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.

Joshua 9:14 (ERV)

Last week, we learned that Joshua failed as a leader to ask God for advice before making agreement with the Hivites because he judged based on appearance alone.

Throughout the Bible there are leaders who sought advice from God before they decided to act and we will see what lessons we can learn from some of them.

King David

When the Amalekites invaded Ziklag, the camp where David and his men stayed and burned it; and took the women and children captive, David comforted himself in The Lord and asked The Lord whether he should pursue after this troop. God answered him and said he should pursue for he will surely overtake them and recover all (1 Samuel 30:8).

Lesson learned: Even in the midst of loss, distress and confusion, leaders must learn to comfort ourselves in The Lord and ask for His advice.

King Jehoshaphat

When King Jehoshaphat was told that a large army was coming against him he became afraid and he decided to ask The Lord what to do. He announced a time of fasting for everyone in Judah. All the people came from out of all the towns of Judah to ask for The Lord’s help. In his public prayer King Jehoshaphat reminded God that they didn’t have the strength to stop the large army that was coming against them. He admitted that they did not know what to do and they were looking to Him for help.

The Lord then spoke through a Prophet and reminded the King that the battle is not his battle, it is The Lord’s. The next day as King Jehoshaphat led the people in praise and worship The Lord set ambushments against their enemies and they turned on themselves and killed each other (2 Chronicles 20:1-29).

Lesson learned: When we are afraid we must admit our utter weakness and ask The Lord for help.

King Solomon

When God appeared to Solomon in a dream and told him to ask whatever he wanted, Solomon asked The Lord to give him wisdom and knowledge so that he can lead the people in the right way for he recognised that no one can rule the great nation of Israel without God’s help. In response, God told him that because he did not ask for long life and riches for himself or the death of his enemies, but instead asked for wisdom and knowledge so that he can make the right decisions, God gave him wisdom and knowledge, but He also gave him wealth, riches, and honour (2 Chronicles 1: 1-13).

Lesson learned: As leaders we must have the right attitude of continually asking God for wisdom and knowledge and He will give us also the other by-products of wisdom which is wealth, riches and honour.

King Hezekiah

When King Hezekiah heard that the king of Assyria sent his officials with a large army in Jerusalem and that they were blaspheming the God of Israel, he told the people to remain silent and not to say anything to them. He put on mourning clothes and went to the house of God and then he sent some officials to see the Prophet Isaiah to seek God’s advice as to what to do. Isaiah gave them a word from the Lord that they should not be afraid because He will send a spirit against the king of Assyria. He will get a report warning him about a danger, so he will return to his own country. And God said He will cut him down with a sword in his own country and this is exactly what happened (2 Kings 19:1-7).

Lesson learned: As leaders, whenever we hear a bad report doubting either our God or our integrity, we too must remain silent and take our compliant to the Lord and He will answer on our behalf.

Jesus Christ

The night before His crucifixion, Jesus Christ was praying on the Mount of Olives in agony, asking The Father that if He was willing, He should not make Him drink from the cup of suffering. Nevertheless, He said God’s will should be done and not His will. An Angel from heaven then came and strengthened him (Luke 22:42-43).

Lesson learned: Like Jesus, when we are facing a difficult situation that we would rather not face, we too should tell the Lord that not our will, but let His will be done in our lives.

Prayer

Dear Father, I ask that You give me the wisdom to do Your will and understanding to lead Your people in Jesus name, amen.

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How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please listen to the audio version of: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

Do you ask The Lord for advice?

The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do.

Joshua 9:14

After the defeat of Ai, the surrounding cities became understandably very fearful. One such group were people from the city of Gibeon. When they heard about the way Joshua had defeated Jericho and Ai they decided to try to trick the Israelites. This was their plan: They gathered together old wineskins that were cracked and broken. They put these old wineskins on the backs of their animals. They put old pieces of cloth on their animals to look as if they had travelled from far away. The men put old sandals on their feet and wore old clothes. They found some old bread that was dry and mouldy. Then they went to the camp of the Israelites.

The men went to Joshua and told him that they had travelled from a faraway country and they wanted to make a peace agreement with them. The men of Israel were hesitant and said they could not make a peace agreement with them until they knew where they came from.

When Joshua asked where they came from, the men answered that they came from a faraway country and they came because they heard of the great power of the Lord their God.

They said that their journey was so long that the bread which was fresh when they left had now become dry and old and their wineskins which were new and filled with wine were now cracked and old. They showed them their clothes and sandals. They showed that the long journey had almost destroyed the things they were wearing.

The men of Israel wanted to know if these men were telling the truth. So they tasted the bread—but they did not ask the Lord what they should do. Joshua agreed to make peace with them. He agreed to let them live and the leaders of Israel agreed with this promise of Joshua.

Three days later however, the Israelites learned that these men lived very near their camp. So the Israelites went to the place where they lived. On the third day the Israelites came to the cities of Gibeon, but the army of Israel did not try to fight against those cities. They had made a peace agreement with them. They had made a promise to them before the Lord, the God of Israel.

You see these men were the Hivites, and before the Israelites entered the Promised Land, God had warned them not to make an agreement with any of the nations that He will drive out before them, but they were to destroy them completely and not to show them mercy—the Hittites, Girgashites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites (Deuteronomy 7:1-2).

This agreement that Joshua made solely based on the way things looked teaches us another important lesson about leadership; leaders must ask God for advice.

Isaiah prophesied concerning the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, that He will not judge with what His eyes can see or with what His ears have heard (Isaiah 11:3). As His followers and leaders in whatever assignment God has given us, The Lord expects us to ask for His advice and direction. He promises in His Word to direct the steps of a good man (Psalm 37:23).

Next week, we will look at leaders who asked the Lord for advice and how we too can seek God’s advice.

Prayer

Dear Father, Like Jesus, please help me not to judge people by the way things look or with what my ears have heard, but help me to always seek Your advice before I take any decision in my family, ministry, business, career, finances and every area of my life in Jesus name, amen.

Listen to the Message

You can also listen to this message on YouTube here:

How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams

Do you know God’s purpose for your life? If not, please listen to the audio version of: How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose Through Dreams