It was very important that the Israelites knew that the reason God would judge the Canaanites and give their land to them was not because the Israelites were that much better than the Canaanites. This event was not a matter of God taking something off someone who didn’t deserve it and giving it to someone who did. Certainly, the Canaanites did not deserve to enjoy the goodness of God in the land, but, neither did the Israelites. If you ever come to the point where you feel that you deserve something from God, you may have missed a very important biblical truth. The truth is that God gives to us generously out of his love and grace. Grace is God’s favour to those who don’t deserve it. You are never deserving of God’s goodness, but you receive it nevertheless. Most people struggle the other way, feeling like they cannot receive from God because of their failures. But it is important to realise that our level of deservedness is irrelevant to why God gives. God gives good things to us to show us that he loves us. And God’s love is expressed most deeply in his grace. So, God loves to bless the undeserving to express his grace. If you are undeserving then you are just the kind of person God wants to bless. Let your failure drive you to God in faith, not away from God in despair.
Reflect on the fact that God favours you and desires to bless you.
Read Deuteronomy 9
