“By the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho the LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you.  Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.  Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.” (Numbers 33:50-53 NIV) 
“I HAVE TO DO WHAT???”  I’m trying to imagine how the Israelites felt when they heard this direction from the Lord.  I can see them saying, “I have to do what?  Don’t you know we just got out of the dry, difficult desert?  Shouldn’t we be on easy street now?”  The Israelites once in the Promised Land had to continue battling nations that opposed them.  We have to stop being shocked that once we get our promise it isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.  The battle we had to fight to get our promise is sometimes easier than the battle to keep our promise, but there will be blessings to balance out the hardship.
Think of David’s life and the progression of enemies he had to face—Lion…Bear….Goliath…Saul….ABSOLOM.   At first you would think that the biggest battle he had to face was Goliath, but I think having to stand up against the leader he served and then having his son as an enemy would be far worse than a 9 foot giant he never knew.  His last battles were closest to his heart.
The bigger the battle won, the bigger the reward.  “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)  Live out the words of Winston Churchill and “Never, Never, Never Give Up!”
Prayer:
Father…I thank-you that you are with me.  You give me what I need to face every enemy that comes against me.  Help me to push forward and take hold of and keep the promise you have for me.   In Jesus name, Amen