What does it Mean to Occupy?

In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, “occupy” means to take or hold possession or control of; to take or fill; to fill or perform the function of (an office or position); and to reside in as an owner or tenant. God defines occupy in Joshua 15 as when you enter into the rest or when you have defeated your enemies. In Exodus 23:30 it says, “Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possession of the land.” Taking possession means you need to do something to take ownership.

Why am I telling you about occupying? It is because we have a mandate to bring God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. When we don’t know how to rule in our given places in God’s kingdom, then the enemy worms his way into a plan to stop God’s kingdom. This happened to Adam in the garden. Either he didn’t tell Eve exactly what God said, or Eve misunderstood. The end result was a curse but even then, God already had a plan to redeem the curse with Jesus.

Facing Challenges in Faith!

Here is an illustration of occupying. I got a new module home. I wanted a new home, so I didn’t have repairs to do. Little did I know that even new homes have things that you need to prepare for. I moved in and the stove didn’t work. The seller didn’t turn on the gas to the stove. Then the oven was too hot! I was afraid I would burn down the place. A repairman came and said this is how they make stoves now. It isn’t like the old stoves that didn’t get hot on the sides.

Then the hot water tank wouldn’t heat. I had cold showers for a week while waiting for a new tank. When they replaced the tank, it still didn’t work. The repairmen figured out it wasn’t the tank but the circuit breaker. I then decided I had better try my furnace and air conditioning. Yep, my furnace didn’t work. The repairman came and turned on the gas for my furnace. I thought, I am all set for winter. Thank God, all these repairs were under the home warranty.

Then winter came. We got three feet of snow, and my furnace wouldn’t work. I couldn’t get a furnace company to come for days, and they said the roof had to be cleared off around the vent before they could come. My new neighbors graciously came to clean off my vent. The furnace still didn’t work. My other neighbor loaned me a small electric heater. Thirty-six hours later, the furnace guy came. He ended up on the roof and found my furnace vent covered with snow. My neighbor had cleaned the stove fan vent which was three feet from the furnace vent. I now had heat!

I was walking across my rug to turn the heat up and static electricity shot off my finger and blew out the heater thermostat display. I had heat but I had no way of knowing what the temperature was set on. The repairman came and said he had never seen anything like this before. Now before you think I have a cursed on my life, let me explain what is happening.

I am learning to occupy. I assumed that God gave me this new home, and I could rest easy. But to occupy a home, one must learn to be a homeowner. When I first moved into my home, I was overwhelmed by homeownership. It had been twenty years since I had to think about repairs, insurance, mowing lawns, and the other responsibilities that come with ownership. Renting a place didn’t require these responsibilities.

Discovering God’s Resources!

Through all these events, I learned who my neighbors are and discovered community. My neighbors and I now watch out for each other and exchange contacts for repairs. A waitress at a local restaurant, had the contact I needed to order an extension for my furnace vent. I passed this information on to my neighbors. I now have a working relationship with a furnace repair company. They know I pay and appreciate their service. I brought two electric space heaters and a ladder to climb onto the roof if I need to get on my roof. My sister got me a cordless drill for repairs.  

Developing community takes work. Having a network of people can be messy but the benefits outweigh the problems. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to change attitudes at work, church, family, or community. Having a title at work doesn’t mean people will respect you or listen to you. You need to develop a God given plan to win people’s trust. Even Jesus’ brothers didn’t trust Jesus as the Messiah at first but in the end they did. This resulted in Jesus’ brother James, authoring the book of James in the Bible. You see Jesus developing relationships with twelve untrained men with different backgrounds. Those twelve apostles were used to brings God’s Kingdom on earth even thousands of years later.

Preparation for the Future!

All these things I went through caused me to be prepared for the future. I now occupy my home instead of my home owning me. This means I can feel safe and enjoy what God has provided. When you occupy, you can have an exciting time despite all the problems surrounding you. This is what the Bible means when it says God prepares a banquet table in the presence of your enemies. Jesus was surround by people trying to kill him. He walked through a crowd who was trying to push him off a cliff. People and problems never stopped him from accomplishing his mission.

Problems do not mean you don’t have faith or that you are doing something wrong. Problems are opportunities for God solutions. God never promised and easy road but He did promise victory at the end of the road. He works all these hinderance out for our good. We are being prepared to take our land and keep it for the kingdom of God.

Prayer For You!

May your eyes be open to the opportunities that God has placed in your life. May you tap into the wisdom of God to occupy all that He has given you. May Holy Spirit strengthen you and give you boldness to bring God’s kingdom in your atmosphere.

Scriptural References

 Joshua 15:12-15; Matthew 6:7; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Genesis 2:15 & Genesis 3; Matthew 13:56; John 7-1-10; Galatians 1:19; Psalm 23:5-6; Luke 4:29; Romans 8:28