Our Daily Homily

Devotional For

July 28

      The Canaanites would dwell in that land. Judges 1:27
      
      How persistent evil habits are! They have dwelt in our lives so long that they dislike being dislodged. Why should they quit their dwell-ing-place and go out into the void? Sometimes, at the beginning of our Christian life, we make a feeble effort against them, and hope to cast them out; but they stubbornly resist. Whenever a remonstrance is addressed to us, we are apt to reply, "Do not find fault; we couldn't help it. These Canaanites are self-willed and persistent, they would dwell in the land."
      
      But the one point that Israel should have borne in mind was that they had no right there. The land was not theirs, it had become Israel's. And, moreover, God was prepared to drive them out; so that His people would have no fighting to do, but only to chase a flying foe. One man was to chase a thousand (Jos 23:10).
      
      So these evil habits have no right to persist in the believer's life. The whole soil of his heart has been made over to the Son of God, and there should be no part left to weeds. "Sin shall not have dominion over you," said the Apostle. Nor is this all. The Holy Spirit is prepared to lust against the flesh, that we may not fulfill it in the lusts thereof, or do the things we otherwise would. The hasty temper may be natural to you: but seeing that your position in Christ is supernatural, this Canaanite must be conquered. There is a complete deliverance possible to all who will open their hearts to the might of the Spirit of God. Talk no more of these Canaanites who would stay in the land; but say of the blessed Spirit, "He is well able to drive them out."