Can You Describe It?

The Book of Joshua recounts the story of how the children of Israel were able to possess the promised land that God had promised to their ancestor Abraham. It is full of timeless principles that govern leadership, conquest, and possession. For anyone interested in learning how to possess the promises of God, reading the book of Joshua is an absolute must.

In Chapter 18, there is a fascinating incident that reveals a crucial key to success. This is how one translation of the Bible interprets the scene:

The whole congregation of Israel gathered at Shiloh and set up the tent of meeting there. The land was under their control.

There were still seven tribes in Israel who had not yet received any land as their inheritance. So Joshua asked the Israelites, “How long are you going to waste time conquering the land which the Lord God of your ancestors has given you? Choose three men from each tribe, and I will send them out. They will survey the land and write a description of it which shows the borders of their inheritance. Then they will come back to me.

They will divide the land into seven parts. Judah will stay within its territory in the south, and Joseph’s descendants will stay within their territory in the north. You must describe the seven parts of the land and report to me here. I will draw lots for you here in the presence of the Lord our God. Joshua 18:1-7

After pointing out that some of the tribes had failed to inherit their promised territory, Joshua gives them some homework. He asks them to go visit the place of promise, and to provide him with a written description of what it looks like.

What a strange request! But upon further reflection, perhaps it isn’t. To “describe” means to convey in words the appearance (what does it look like), the nature and the attributes (what are the defining characteristics) of a person, place or thing. The ability to describe is much more difficult than it may seem. But it is absolutely crucial. Describing the promised land requires observation, provides clarity, and ensures focus. For all of those tribes that had yet to posses the promise, he asks them to describe the promise land. Why you ask? Because if you can’t describe the promised land, how will you know when you have arrived in it?

Let me give you an example of how important it is to be able to describe your promised land. I have counseled countless married couples. After the couple feels comfortable enough to share whatever issues they may be confronting, I will often ask them what they would consider to be an ideal resolution. I find that many couples are much more adept at describing what’s wrong than describing what “right” looks like. In response to my question, one woman said “I just want my husband to act right.” LOL. Unfortunately, when I asked her what “acting right” looked like, she was unable to tell me. Sadly, I’ve discovered that many couples don’t want a resolution. They simply want to vent.

Question: Can you describe your promised Land?

Can you describe your ideal partner?

Can you describe your ideal career or vocation?

Can you describe your ideal financial state?

Can you describe your ideal retirement?

Can you describe your ideal life?

So here ‘s your homework for this weekend: instead of complaining and worrying about what isn’t happening in your life, spend some time writing down what you want to happen. Spend some time trying to describe your promised land. I can promise you that describing your promised land is going to take much longer and be much harder than you may think. But I can also promise that you that once you have you have described it, the description will make it much easier to possess. You can’t hit a moving or an unknown target.

Many of us can’t possess our promised land because we can’t describe what it looks like! If you can’t describe what your promised land looks like how will you know when you have arrived in it?