The Promised Land

Exodus 15 is the Song of Moses, which he sang after they escaped the Egyptians by miraculously crossing the sea. Verse 17 expresses confidence that God will bring them to the land He has for them, and it will be a place where He will dwell. Stacy's song “None Like You” expresses it as a habitation of praise. Israel made it to the promised land and dwelled there. God also made it to His promised land – the habitation of praise in their hearts. Praise was a key to further conquest, with Jehosaphat even putting the musicians ahead of the army. As we know, Israel eventually lost their promised land and went into captivity. This happened because God (in them) went into captivity because of their worship of other gods, so He lost His promised land. Their loss had to follow.

We as Christians have a promised land. This is typically considered to be Heaven. God also has a promised land, which is more than a habitation of praise in our hearts – it is Christ Himself, through the Holy Spirit in our hearts. Many Christians basically want to go to Heaven, and some even have an escapist mentality, waiting for the rapture to come (which it never will with that mentality). However, God desires Heaven to come here. He desires us to praise Him, allowing Christ to completely conquer our hearts so we may be the pure and spotless bride that He longs to come for. We are to come together in corporate praise as well, so we may be built together as a dwelling place of God in the spirit (Eph 2:22). He desires to use us to expand His tangible kingdom influence on earth, preparing the way for Him to come again. Second Peter 3:12 says we can hasten the day of the coming of the day of God. Praise will do this. We must be a praising people who do not allow Christ in us to be captured by the world and its gods, or we will lose our promised land because Christ has lost His in us.

Let praise arise in your people, oh God! May we enter your rest through praise (Hebrews 4), and may none of us succumb to unbelief, doubt, discouragement, or distraction. The earth is yours and all its fullness (Psalm 24:1). We give the fullness of the landscape of our hearts, our families, our workplaces, our churches, and every place we go to you. We commit ourselves to following your commission to us (Mat 28:19-20), transforming the world by your power in us, praising all the way, longing for you to come as your Spirit desires (Rev 22:17), and hastening that time.