FOR A LONG TIME
Today's reading: Joshua 11-15

"So Joshua conquered the entire region--the hill country, the Negev, the land of Goshen, the western foothills, the Jordan Valley and the mountains and lowlands of Israel. The Israelite territory now extended all the way from Mount Halak, which leads up to Seir, to Baal-gad at the foot of Mount Hermon in the valley of Lebanon. Joshua killed all the kings of those territories, waging war for a long time to accomplish this." Joshua 11:16-18 NLT

I can't be the only one who gets a little frustrated that my prayers aren't answered at the close of my 'Amen'.

I mean, I know God can.

I also know God is able to.

I also know that in several of my requests, what I'm asking is entirely inside God's will for me--and for those I'm asking for.

Like Joshua.

God brought Joshua and the Israelites to the Promised Land--but their work wasn't over.

For, what the Scripture reading tells us, a long time, they waged war to take ownership of what God had already given them.

They didn't step foot across the Jordan and VOILA, the land was theirs.

It took blood. It took sweat. It took tears. It took effort. It took continued obedience. It took daily faith. It took hand to hand combat. It took leaning harder on the Lord for the victories than it ever took for the walk through the wilderness.

Maybe you needed that reminder. I did.

I'm going to keep praying. I'm going to keep believing. I'm going to keep trusting the Lord's timing. I'm going to keep obeying God's commands, His leadings and His urgings. I'm going to stick it out until I see Him answers--or until He changes what I'm asking for!

However long it might take.