Ask for your PORTION

I so often wonder why it is that we collectively don't feel as though we have a right to our inheritance, our portion.  I know for myself, I never even knew I had anything coming. 

I met the Lord... I was saved and took Jesus into my heart when I was 8 years old.  (Thank you Ruth from Trinity Lutheran while we were at Indian Hills Bible Camp in Campo, Calif.)  Even though I didn't have a clear view of what being a Christian or what living a Christian life looked like, I knew that God was protecting me up through my entire adolescence. 

There were plenty of occasions where I was either not in a safe place or not with safe people.  I found out these last couple of weeks, that there were people around me, that I didn't "see".  It's a good thing they meant no harm!  By the time I was 14 years old, I was an avid smoker of cigarettes and marijuana.  I was never making many good decisions after that started. 

Unplanned pregnancies, marriages that weren't very well thought out or planned, certainly not biblically based... a mother to my children without any examples or mentors, held jobs out of survival (I thank you Lord for causing me to be smart and a quick learner), chaos at home, not a lot of peace.... at 40 years old, I quit smoking... everything.  Unfortunately, if you don't know anything about addiction, my maturity level was right back to 14 years old... not a good thing at 40.

I rededicated my life to the Lord at that time.  He did a quick work in me to make some foundational changes.  However, it took over 6 years for me to understand that there is an inheritance for our lives.

Recently, I started to research women in the Bible.  I ran across this one name, Acsah.  I had never heard of her before but she was being mentioned in three places in the Bible.

In Joshua 15:16-19 (The Message) starts off talking about Caleb.  Caleb is the great grandson of Judah, the son of Israel.  He had several concubines... and with one, he had a daughter named Acsah.  After many battles, Caleb asked if someone would attack the next village/city and win, Caleb would offer up his daughter, Acsah, to be their bride.

^16-17 Caleb said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife." Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it; so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife.

 ^18-19 When she arrived she got him

      to ask for farmland from her father.

   As she dismounted from her donkey

      Caleb asked her, "What would you like?"

   She said, "Give me a marriage gift.

      You've given me desert land;

   Now give me pools of water!"

      And he gave her the upper and the lower pools.

The story is repeated in Judges 1:12-15

^11-12 From there they had marched against the population of Debir (Debir used to be called Kiriath Sepher). Caleb had said, "Whoever attacks Kiriath Sepher and takes it, I'll give my daughter Acsah to him as his wife."
 ¹³ Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's brother, took it, so Caleb gave him his daughter Acsah as his wife.

 ^14-15 When she arrived she got him

      to ask for farmland from her father.

   As she dismounted from her donkey

      Caleb asked her, "What would you like?"

   She said, "Give me a marriage gift.

      You've given me desert land;

   Now give me pools of water!"

      And he gave her the upper and the lower pools.

And then in 1 Chronicles 2:49, Acsah is mentioned one last time;

^48-50 Another concubine of Caleb, Maacah, gave birth to Sheber and Tirhanah. She also bore Shaaph the father of Madmannah and Sheva the father of Macbenah and Gibea. Caleb's daughter was Acsah. These made up the Caleb branch of the family tree.

I hadn't been searching for answers to the questions of our inheritance and portion when I discovered Acsah, but as I was reading through my Bible trying to figure out what the Lord wanted us to know about her I stumbled across this mini devotion in my Bible.  (I have the New King James Version and it is the Woman Thou Art Loosed! Edition edited with his devotions and pearls of wisdom by T.D. Jakes.) 

It's titled "Ask for Your Portion" and he references Joshua 17:3,4
^3-4 Zelophehad son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons, only daughters. Their names were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. They went to Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders and said, "God commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our kinsmen." And Joshua did it; he gave them, as God commanded, an inheritance amid their father's brothers.

"Notice that the daughters of Zelophehad asked for their portion (Numbers 27:1-4  ¹ The daughters of Zelophehad showed up. Their father was the son of Hepher son of Gilead son of Makir son of Manasseh, belonging to the clans of Manasseh son of Joseph. The daughters were Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

 ^2-4 They came to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They stood before Moses and Eleazar the priest and before the leaders and the congregation and said, "Our father died in the wilderness. He wasn't part of Korah's rebel anti-God gang. He died for his own sins. And he left no sons. But why should our father's name die out from his clan just because he had no sons? So give us an inheritance among our father's relatives." ) They didn't want their uncle's portion. They just wanted what was rightfully theirs. They wanted property "along with" their father's brothers.  They were smart enough to realize they could have it, but they didn't demand it - they requested it.  They were not male bashers.  Christian women must avoid taking a cue from their secular sisters who have not allowed their bitter experiences to be healed by the love of our Father.
These women never lost their femininity. But they show us that being feminine doesn't mean being a doormat.  They didn't tolerate injustice, nor did they become embittered.  They used the power of a request. Because Zelophehad's daughters challenged the system without violating the principles, Moses went to God and asked Him for help.
I know it is difficult to be ignored and not beome disgruntled. Wise women, however, do not allow their emotions to overrule their ultimate goals and purposes.  If there are systems that have ensnared your blessing, they need to be challenged, not attacked.
Maybe no one would have listened to Zelophehad's daughters if they had not initiated a meeting to plead their case.  Perhaps you who have struggled need to call a meeting.  Get in touch with people in power and demand what you want, or you may not get it.  Speak up for yourself.
I believe this is a time when God wants to pour out blessings, not just on His sons, but on His daughters. This is more than an extra check in the mail.  It is time for directional changes and life changes. Start expecting a deluge, an outpouring.  I don't mean just wait on it.  Prepare for it. Expect it. It's going to rain in your life.
Because of the good things He wants to send you, God wants to heal every fear and insecurity and inhibition that would stop you from receiving. Use the power of a request when you ask for your blessing. When it comes, be ready for a downpour." 

John 15:15-17 (NKJV)

¹⁵ No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. ¹⁶ You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. ¹⁷ These things I command you, that you love one another.

John 16:22-24 (NKJV)

²² Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

²³ “And in that day you will ask Me nothing. Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. ²⁴ Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

As I looked into the "you ask not therefore you have not" verse, because I thought that would be the perfect verse for "asking", I looked in the Message version and that phrase took on a whole new meaning to me....  I suppose we need to be careful what we are asking for and be sure that it is lining up with God's will.

James 4 The Message

 ^2-3You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way.

There are many references in the Bible about the Lord's fulfillment of His promises in our lives.  You can find them, but here are a few...

TRUTH » OF GOD » Fulfillment of promises in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20)WAITING » For the fulfillment of his promises (Acts 1:4)

Here are 28 references to "Inheritance"... 

  

1. BEER-SHEBA » The most southern city of Palestine » In the inheritance of Judah (Joshua 15:20,28; 2 Samuel 24:7)
2. BIRTHRIGHT » Entitled the firstborn to a double portion of inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17)
3. CALEB » Inheritance of (Joshua 14:6-15;15:13-16)
4. CHURCH » MISCELLANY OF MINOR SUB-TOPICS » INHERITANCE (Psalms 28:9; Isaiah 19:25)
5. CHURCH » MISCELLANY OF MINOR SUB-TOPICS » LOT OF GOD'S INHERITANCE (Deuteronomy 32:9)
6. CORD » SYMBOLICAL USES OF » Signifying an inheritance (Joshua 17:14)
7. DAN » TRIBE OF » Inheritance of, according to the allotment of Joshua (Joshua 19:40-47)
8. EPHRAIM » Mount of » Joshua has his inheritance in (Judges 2:9)
9. FIRSTBORN » BIRTHRIGHT OF THE » A double portion of inheritance (Deuteronomy 21:15-17)
10. GAASH » Joshua's inheritance embraced (Joshua 24:30)
11. HEIR » See INHERITANCE
12. HODAVIAH » A chief of the half-tribe of Manasseh, whose inheritance was east of the Jordan River (1 Chronicles 5:24)
13. INHERITANCE » Provisions for inheritance under Levirate marriages (Genesis 38:7-11; Numbers 36:6-9; Deuteronomy 25:5-10; Ruth 3:1-8;4:7-)
14. ISRAEL » (Usually, in lists, the names of Levi and Joseph, » The daughters of Zelophehad sue for an inheritance (Numbers 27:1-11; Joshua 17:3-6)
15. JUDAH » Tribe of » Inheritance of (Joshua 15;18:6;19:1,9)
16. LEGISLATION » Inheritance (Numbers 27:1-11)
17. LEVITES » Profits from » In lieu of landed inheritance, forty-eight cities with suburbs were assigned to them (Numbers 35:2-8; with18:24)
18. MAHLAH » Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of (Numbers 26:33;27:1-7)
19. MILCAH » Daughter of Zelophehad » Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of (Numbers 26:33;27:1-7;36:1-12; Joshua 17:3,4)
20. MOTIVE » MISUNDERSTOOD » The tribes of Reuben and Gad, in asking for their inheritance east of the Jordan River (Numbers 32:1-33)
21. NAPHTALI » Tribe of » Inheritance of (Joshua 19:32-39; Judges 1:33; Ezekiel 48:3)
22. NOAH » A daughter of Zelophehad, special legislation in regard to the inheritance of (Numbers 26:33;27:1-7;; Joshua 17:3-7)
23. PHINEHAS » Inheritance allotted to (Joshua 24:33)
24. REUBENITES » Have their inheritance east of the Jordan River (Numbers 32; Deuteronomy 3:1-20; Joshua 13:15-23;18:7)
25. Son of Jacob » TRIBE OF » Inheritance allotted to (Joshua 19:1-9; Judges 1:3-17; 1 Chronicles 4:24-43)
26. TIRZAH » A daughter of Zelophehad » Special legislation in regard to the inheritance of (Numbers 27:1-11;; Joshua 17:3,4)
27. WOMEN » Property rights of » In inheritance (Numbers 27:1-11;; Joshua 17:3-6; Job 42:15)
28. ZELOPHEHAD » His daughters petition for his inheritance (Numbers 27:1-11;; Joshua 17:3-6; 1 Chronicles 7:15)

Bottom line, God is faithful... He will provide!  He is our Provider, Protector and Perfector!  He loves us more than anyone on the face of this planet ever will or could!  OPEN YOUR BIBLES!!  READ ABOUT HIS LOVE!  That's all that is poured out on every single page!  It's all about HIS LOVE FOR US!  In my personal life, I have asked for BIG things that couldn't happen in the natural.  God is showing up and making the supernatural manifest in my life!  As things unfold, I will be sharing more and more about His amazing love, choreography, ability to open doors when they seem immovable, and anything other amazing attribute that manifests itself through His love in my life! 
In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen

Janice