Emmanuel Okoro (aka MrLift)

God Has Given You Rest “And GOD gave them rest on all sides, just as He had solemnly promised their ancestors. Not one of their enemies was able to stand against them—GOD handed all their enemies over to them.” (Joshua 21:44) God is faithful to His word. What He promises, He performs. The rest Israel enjoyed was not accidental; it was the fulfillment of a divine vow. Though their journey had been long and marked by battles, God brought them to a place of peace exactly as He said He would. The Old Testament is a shadow that points to a greater substance revealed in the New Testament. Where there is a shadow, there must be a reality. If God could give His people rest then, we can be confident that He gives rest now. The promise has not expired. Yet like Gideon, many of us ask, “If God has given me rest, why do I still see challenges around me?” The answer lies in the text itself. Israel’s rest did not mean the absence of enemies; it meant victory in the presence of enemies. Scriptur...

Take Possession  "And so GOD gave Israel the entire land that He had solemnly vowed to give to their ancestors. They took possession of it and made themselves at home in it.” (Joshua  21:43)  God is a promise-keeping God. When He speaks, He is not merely predicting what will happen; He is revealing what has already been settled in eternity, even though we may not yet have entered into it in time. If we live long enough in faith and obedience, we will experience everything God has promised. This truth is clearly seen in the story of Israel. More than five hundred years earlier, God promised Abraham that his descendants would inherit a land flowing with milk and honey. Abraham believed God, though he did not possess the land in his lifetime. Yet, in our text, we see that God fulfilled that ancient promise completely. Israel did not receive part of the land or a portion of the promise—God gave them the entire land He had sworn to their ancestors. However, God’s faithfuln...

Records  “So the People of Israel, out of their own inheritance, gave the Levites, just as GOD commanded, the following cities and pastures.” ( Joshua 21:3) I have often reflected on why the Bible takes such care to preserve records in such detail. Beyond recounting past events, these records reveal patterns of God’s dealings with His people. They help us see not only what has been , but also what can be . Because the command was recorded, the Levites were able to approach the leaders of Israel and confidently remind them of what God had instructed through Moses. In the same way, records empowered Jesus to declare, “It is written of Me in the volume of the book; I have come to do Your will, O God.” God’s written word became both proof and authority. In our own lives, keeping records of what God has done serves a powerful purpose. They remind us not only of His past faithfulness but also of His present ability. Records speak when circumstances are silent. They assure us that if ...

Take God’s Word Back to Him  “This took place at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They said, ‘The LORD commanded through Moses that you give us cities to live in, with pasturelands for our cattle.’ So the people of Israel gave the Levites cities and pasturelands from their inheritance, just as the LORD had commanded.”   (Joshua 21:2–3) This event happened at in the land of . The Levites approached and the leaders of Israel with confidence, reminding them of what the LORD had already commanded through . They were not demanding anything new; they were standing on a settled word. And Scripture records that the people responded in obedience— just as the LORD had commanded. God’s word is eternally true, eternally settled, and powerful enough to establish us. Yet believing the word is only the beginning. We must also learn to take God’s word back to Him —to pray, act, and live in alignment with what He has already said. The Levites teach us a vital lesson: men who know God’s word ca...

Avenger of Blood “So that anyone who kills a person accidentally—that is, unintentionally—may flee there and find protection from the avenger of blood.” ( Joshua 20:3 ) God is a God of justice as much as He is a God of mercy. Even in moments marked by tragedy and loss, His grace shines through. He is always mindful of human frailty and continually works to protect life and restore order. In our text, we are introduced to the concept of the avenger of blood —a relative who felt justified to take another life in retaliation for the death of a loved one. While such emotions are understandable, God, in His wisdom, made provision to prevent injustice and the escalation of violence. For anyone who killed another person unintentionally—what we would today call manslaughter—God instructed Israel to establish cities of refuge. These cities provided safety, preventing the avenger of blood from taking a life that God had not judged guilty of murder. Justice was preserved, but mercy was also ...

Honour...  “They completed the division of the land and set its boundaries as an inheritance. Then the people of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua son of Nun. In obedience to the word of the LORD, they gave him the city he had requested—Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim. Joshua rebuilt the city and settled there.” (Joshua 19:49–50) Honour, like respect, is earned—not demanded. Joshua, together with the high priest and the leaders of Israel, faithfully carried out God’s assignment: conquering the land and fairly dividing it among the tribes. When the work was done, the people expressed their gratitude by honouring Joshua with a city of his choice. This act was not forced; it flowed naturally from appreciation for faithful leadership and obedience to God. Scripture consistently teaches the value God places on honour. Through the prophet Malachi, God rebuked His people for failing to honour Him, reminding them that honour begins with how we treat authority—especially ...