If you have inherited a desert, ask God for a source

Joshua chapter 15, verse 16 to 19. I am just telling you something about this word, it is a very simple word, but it is a word that is so important that it appears twice. Here in Joshua and also almost word for word, letter for letter, in Judges, chapter 1. That's weird. It is few times in Scripture that Scripture is repeated word for word, something has this word that the Lord gives us in the book of Joshua and also in the book of Judges. But I confess that I had not even noticed it, until a few months ago the Lord spoke to me and ministered to me deeply through this simple word. And I pray that the Lord will still minister to someone here tonight through this word. Declare the word like this, I will be reading it in the new international version and I ask that you follow it in the version that you have. And he said, Caleb:

“… I will give my daughter Achsa as a wife to the man who attacks and conquers the city of Kiriat-sefer. Then Othniel, son of Cenaz, and nephew of Caleb, − the Reina Valera version says Caleb's brother, but they were relatives – captured Quiriath-sefer and married Achsa. When she arrived, Otoniel convinced her to ask her father for a piece of land. As Achsa dismounted from the donkey Caleb asked him, “What is the matter with you?” “Give me a favor,” she replied, “since you have given me land in the Negev, give me springs as well.” – The Reina Valera says, since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also sources of water − That was how Caleb gave his daughter springs in the highlands and in the lowlands. – The Reina Valera declares, he then gave him the upper and lower sources −…”

Sir, this is a very simple word. I ask God's spirit to blow upon it and that through your breath it come alive and bear fruit to every hungry heart tonight, in the name of Jesus.

My brothers, it's a super simple story, so simple and buried in two history books that apparently talk about much more important and much more historical things. It is almost an emphasis on the biblical account. But here I wrote down the few facts that we have here and see if you see the same thing that I see.

What happened? Achsa was the daughter of Caleb. Caleb gave it as a prize to the one who conquered the last remaining town for the tribe of Judah to conquer in that area. Othniel won that inheritance, that is, he won Achsa and the inheritance land that belonged to her. Now Acsa's inheritance was left in the Negev. The Negev was a desert, it was an arid land, almost uncultivable without water and without agricultural intervention.

Othniel and Acsa agreed that Acsa would approach Caleb to ask him for land to farm. In other words, there are some versions that say that the idea came from Acsa, others that say that the idea came from Otoniel. It's the same, they spoke, "Look, talk to the old man and tell him if he gives us something better than what he gave us here, that he just gave us a desert, we're going to starve."

Acsa approached Caleb, his father, seeing her approach his father simply asked him, What do you want? Other version says, What is offered to you? Another version says, What's wrong with you? We could still translate, you can still translate it, what brings you? What's up? What are you doing here? What's here? Everything is alright?

Acsa simply answers him, Grant me a favor, since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs, give me fountains. This is how Caleb gave his daughter springs in highlands and in lowlands.

That is the story completely. There are no further details in the book of Judges. It is precisely the same story. I don't know how many times in my life I have read the book of Judges and gone from there to chapter 16. This time the Holy Spirit stopped me and I heard the Lord say this to me, “Samuel, ask me for springs. Samuel, ask me for sources.”

My brother, I don't know if you have complained, either publicly or in the secret of your heart, about the inheritance that the Lord has given you. And you know, I think one of the reasons why this word stands out so much, and why we see it in both the book of Judges and the book of Joshua, is because of what we don't see here. We don't see Achsa and Othniel, they wouldn't even appear on the lines of Scripture if they had stuck with this.

Your old man is a pot, you are his daughter. Look, if not a tree grows here here. This is a desert, Negev. And that's your dad. Or her complaining, gosh, it's one thing for her to give me the gift of the first to win this city, the first to pass, and my uncle, and another thing is for her to inherit a desert. Gee, doesn't my dad love me more than that? Doesn't my dad love me more than giving me a desert as an inheritance?

And the sad thing about this, my brothers, is that right there is where so many stay. As simple as that. So many of us are staring at our heritage, seeing what it lacks, contemplating its aridity. How difficult it would be to draw life from this heritage, how difficult it would be to cultivate it. And we came out of there convinced, but if my father loved me, how would he leave me such an inheritance? How does he allow this?

Some things we have to keep in mind. First of all, my brothers, each one of us came to this place, to this brotherhood, to this calling with an inheritance. You did not arrive empty at the house of the Lord, there is no blank being, a created being. You came with something, some blessing, perhaps merely a working brain, perhaps a car that starts, a job that exploits you, a family or pieces of a family that loves you, even if they are separated by continents. But you bring something, some inheritance you have. One, and two, each one of us, one hundred percent of us, come with an inheritance that is a desert.

We have all inherited a desert in one way or another. Each one of us lacks one thing or the other so that the land that the Lord has given us as an inheritance bears fruit and is worthwhile. I have good news for you, your Heavenly Father does love you. Your Heavenly Father knew very well what he gave you when he gave you that inheritance, and your Heavenly Father knows just what you need to make your inheritance spring to life and bear fruit. He just waits for you to ask.

As simple as that. He just waits for you to get close to him. The role of his son and the role of his daughter and he says, Dad, my inheritance, what you have given me, is a desert, give me sources, give me springs.

And it can be any number of things. Lord, you have given me as many... I believe that there was a wave of the Lord that we covered several marriages tonight, taking advantage of that, taking that as an example, to tell him, Lord, you have given me this wife as an inheritance. You have given me this marriage as an inheritance, but Lord, it is a desert right now, it is a desert. And the Lord sees you drawing near to him, as these brave brothers did tonight. Before you get off the donkey, that was what he expected, and the Lord says, when he sees you, his love covers you and he says, that was what I was waiting for. That you asked me What's up? What do you want?

Lord, you have given me this inheritance, you have given me this woman, you have given me this man, you have given me this marriage but we lack it, and tell him what sources you lack. Tell him. Lord, we lack understanding or I have this character and I have to overcome it, or Lord, I have a situation at work that is going to divide us if something doesn't happen. Sir, we need sources.

Or you will say, Sir, my inheritance is my son. You have given me a son, you have given me a daughter, I love him, but Father, so what? Lord, so that life may sprout in this young man, Lord, I ask that the scale fall from his eyes, I ask that it touch his heart. I ask you to move in it, give me sources, Lord. Since you gave me this inheritance, since you entrusted me with this inheritance, give me sources.

Or it may be that your inheritance may be a blessing the Lord has just given you. You see yourself taking a college course or an English class, or you just opened a business but you see that the Lord has just scaled you to a level that now, unless the Lord intervenes, you are going to fail. The blessing came from the Lord, but now you say to the Lord, to the same God who gave you that inheritance, you say, Lord, you have given me this ministry, you have given me this opportunity, Lord, you have given me given this job, Lord, you have opened this door for me, give me sources. My wisdom does not give. My intellect does not give. For this to sprout life, give me sources.

You know, each one of you the Lord has bestowed something precious on you. No one here has come in empty-handed. The Lord here sees gardens, solid families, men and women living prosperous lives and the Lord made sure that you were going to be missing one piece or another of that blessing and he knows exactly what your desert needs to give life, what he expects is that they ask for it Because the most important thing to him is this, for him the terrain or the springs are not as important as that you have the confidence to get closer. The most important thing to him is you.

The fact that he is your Daddy. I don't know what conversation Acsa had with his father after this arrangement, what else they talked about, but I think that for Acsa that was much more important than the land and the springs. And that is the relationship that the Lord wants to create with each one of you.

But we're going to do something tonight, bow your head for a moment. I know that there are several who are here for the first time, that does not matter. I know that there are several who have arrived here week after week, for months, some for years, that doesn't matter either. What the Lord wants now, be you new, new here, be you a veteran, a veteran, the Lord now what matters to him is that before you leave here, you learn that your Heavenly Father loves you, wants you bless and the only thing he expects is that you ask him for sources, springs.

Your Heavenly Father is asking you right now what you need. What are you missing? What do you need? What does your soul need? What are the sources that your desert needs right now to be fruitful? And take a moment now, my brother, ask the spirit of the Lord.

Imagine, the Lord sees you coming from a distance, he receives you, not like the father of the prodigal son, like his son, like his daughter, and he asks you, what will I do for you tonight? What do you need from your Heavenly Father? Lord, you have given me the Negev, now ask him for sources.

Lord, this character that you have given me, you have made me a strong man, you have given me so many gifts, now I ask, Lord, sources on this. Lord, you have given me, as we were praying right now, a marriage, an inheritance, but unless sources do not sprout, I am going to lose it.

Lord, you have given me this opportunity, now give me, Lord, wisdom and grace. Lord, now I ask in the name of Jesus that you hear the prayer of your people. Lord, if it is necessary that fountains still sprout from the rock and flood the deserts of those who are here.

You also know, I invite those on this particular night, this is a very bold invitation because I know that I have already spoken intimately with some of you, a lot has happened on this night, many miracles, much intercession. If there is someone who sees their opportunity tonight to say, Lord, I do not want to leave here without making sure that you are my savior and that this beautiful relationship that I feel tonight lasts, that they can count on that and that I Consider me your son.

In other words, that is a step that we call receiving Jesus, precisely as your Lord. And if someone wanted to take that step and make sure, basically say, Lord, I never want to live without you. And if you don't remember to say that to the Lord before, and you want to say it tonight, I invite you to receive the Lord, and I invite you to raise your hand, just to affirm, I want to make sure that I leave here receiving Jesus like my lord Amen.

Father, we thank you for tonight in your presence and we thank you, Lord, for blessing us far beyond what we can hope for. Thank you for everything, the adoration, the praise, Lord, for the testimonies and for the healings and the miracles that have taken place, merely because we were in your house tonight. Thank you for the hope of spring, Lord.

Thank you, Father, for melting the ice and for showing yourself, Lord, as the one who always gives us the assurance, Father, of a summer and a harvest and we thank you, Lord, for everything precious that you are and have continued to do.

Now bless us, Lord, and accompany each of us to our homes. And I ask, Lord, that you continue to work in our hearts and continue to show yourself, Lord, as the generous Father that you are, attentive, Lord, to the cry of your children, in the name of Jesus.

Lord bless my brothers. May the Lord cover you with his grace and fill you with his blessing.