Overcoming the Cycle of Failure

Judges 3:7-11 -  The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs. The anger of the LORD burned against Israel so that he sold them into the hands of Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram Naharaim, to whom the Israelites were subject for eight years.  But when they cried out to the LORD, he raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, who saved them.  The Spirit of the LORD came upon him, so that he became Israel's judge and went to war. The LORD gave Cushan-Rishathaim king of Aram into the hands of Othniel, who overpowered him.  So the land had peace for forty years, until Othniel son of Kenaz died.

 

The Israelites did not take long to forget the Lord.  They intermarried and allowed their children to be taught two ways to live. The spouses polluted their worship routines and eventually convinced them to leave the Lord they had once loved all together…to completely worship the other  gods.  God was so angry with them that he not only allowed them to be punished…he let them be completely controlled by the people who had swayed them to forget God….for an extended amount of time.

 

They spent eight long years in control of king Eglon…a king known for his harsh tax laws.  We aren’t given any details about the actual cruelty they suffered from…and the oppression might not have even been a physical one.  The oppression…whether financial ….physical or mental… must have been tough on the Israelites though…for they eventually reach their limit and cried out to God for help. God is moved to raise up his first judge…Othniel…and somehow equip him with mental… physical... and spiritual power …never before experienced before. God used this normal man… to channel his supernatural power and lead the people in battle….overcome king Eglon’s rule…and begin to worship God again.

 

It happens one more time in this chapter alone.  The cycle of ….love God completely...let something pollute that love so bad that Satan sneaks in his tricks and lies and idols…God allowing the sin to completely control the nation for a number of years…then finding another common man…Ehud…to speak his truth and recapture the hearts of his people.  This time they were held captive for 10 years...until Ehud tricked king Eglon and killed him face to face…and rallied the people to war once again to claim their freedom.

 

I mulled it over all day…the cycle of these people that I so resemble. I couldn’t write this morning… because Satan invaded my home computer once again …paper and pencil just seemed useless…and it was really a moot point…because I allowed myself to justify sleeping till 6 anyway.  I have been so unfocused…and grumpy…cause I didn’t have my usual talk with God...so I sit in the public library …at the verge of tears …because I realize just how similar my own behavior resembles the crazy behavior of these Israelites.

 

Maybe it is just easier some days not to fight….or maybe my faith just hasn’t bloomed enough to help me fight off satan’s tricks.  But I have to find a way to fix this…so I can stop the crazy ride…and be one of those judges he gave supernatural powers to bring these people back to God. Maybe just knowing that I have to fix it is a step in the right direction…I did not allow satan to keep me from writing…he just delayed my appointment with God for a few hours.  And I need to add how thankful I am that God did not leave those Israelites forever. He heard their cry …when they finally realized they had messed up...and he sent them help…and he hears mine…if I take the time to cry out and ask for his help!

 

Father...I thank you that you will always find a way to remind me that you are there…just waiting for me to ask for help.  Forgive me Lord for being so predictable…and not learning from my mistakes.  Help me to stop the wild ferris wheel of a ride that satan tries to take me on each day….and call to you for help…no matter where I am… even when I have no technology to help me process what I think you are teaching me about your word.  Pour your spiritual power inside me and give me the strength I need to fight off satan’s tricks….and hold fast to your teachings...and be obedient to the task you have given me to do. Amen.

Saved Over And Over

Judges 2:1-4 -  The angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bokim with a message for the Israelites. He told them, "I brought you out of Egypt into this land that I swore to give your ancestors, and I said I would never break my covenant with you.  For your part, you were not to make any covenants with the people living in this land; instead, you were to destroy their altars. Why, then, have you disobeyed my command?  Since you have done this, I will no longer drive out the people living in your land. They will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a constant temptation to you."  When the angel of the LORD finished speaking, the Israelites wept loudly…

 

The Israelites had forgotten their promise to God…to follow him…and carry out the command to destroy the heathen gods…and drive the people who worshiped them out of the land he gave them.  They said one thing and did quite another…so God sent his messenger to let them know he was no longer bound to care for them. They broke the covenant they had made with him…now they would no longer be victorious against these enemies…God was going to allow them to be oppressed by them…and he would even use the oppression to teach them the value of obedience.

 

The rest of this chapter describes how God would raise several people within the nation…judges…who would speak the words of God…and try to teach them how to follow him once more. And they are successful as long as they are alive...but as each one dies… the voice of God…the will to obey... dies with him…and they once again fall into rebellion and captivity by some pagan nation.

 

Sounds pretty much like our world now…like me sometimes too.  I admit…it is easy to follow God when everything is good in your life…but when the tasks he gives you aren’t the easiest….or the most prestigious….or match the long term plan we mapped out for ourselves those first days we were saved….we usually drift away from his guidance and love…and steep in our selfish nature...to have things our own way.  We too cycle through the same behaviors of these Israelites…we are saved…we weep tears of remorse…we dry our eyes and rise with fire and passion…then the world batters us with its evil. Then we begin to justify the passion right out of our hearts….and actions toward others…and we succumb to Satan’s tricks….until God sends someone to speak his word to us…and we repent …and cry those tears of conviction…and renew that passion for him…for a time.

 

I for one am so glad that he used the mistakes I made to teach me more about him…and is helping me to be stronger. If I look closely at the past…I can see how each time I was disobedient…he sent someone to speak his word…. or allowed something to overcome me for a time…so I would stop and listen…and be reminded of my need for him.  I never called them a judge… and I never really thought about the tragedies in my life as oppression…. but they served the same purpose. They reminded me of the heart I gave to Christ at 14…and spoke the perfect words to convict me of my need to change. I am way too weak to fight satan’s lies and tricks alone…but if I can remember to follow the words of the great writer Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9…. “But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”  For  the wonderful grace of God promised me he would always chase after me….and build me up…even what I think is the worst attribute he created in me…that oppression will never last forever…that peace of God is just a stone’s throw away waiting for me to cling to God instead of the world…so he can begin to control my heart…my mind and my soul.

 

Father….I thank you that you created a way to show us our disobedience…and repent… and reignite the passion we felt the day you saved us. I thank you that my mistakes are never permanently cast me away from you…but you use them to teach me how to love you more.  I thank you that you don’t allow us to stay in punishment mode forever…but you save us over and over…and allow us times of peace and blessing…no matter what we have done…or how long we stayed away from you.  Help me to rest in the promise that you will never leave me or forsake me…but always go before me…just as Moses shared so long ago in Deuteronomy. Help me to never be afraid again….and not to fear the times you allow me to experience the next life lessons that will teach me how to be closer to you.  Amen

Renew Your Confidence

Judges 1-2 and 19  -After Joshua died, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Which tribe should attack the Canaanites first?"  The LORD answered, "Judah, for I have given them victory over the land."

… The LORD was with the people of Judah, and they took possession of the hill country. But they failed to drive out the people living in the plains because the people there had iron chariots.

 

Joshua Died…and God did not appoint another leader. Each tribe had to inquire of the Lord on its own…asking for guidance as they tried to drive out the remaining Canaanites form the Promised Land.  They started out with the right idea…asking God to what to do…and winning many battles…but somewhere along the way…each tribe fell short…and one by one they fail to drive out at least one group of their enemies. 

 

They eventually gave up on the conquests at all… the vision of iron chariots defeating them before they even prayed to God for how to conquer them. They remained a strong people…and were able to make slaves out of some nations...but they did not completely follow God’s commands….and begin to let their fear stop them from claiming God’s promise for their life.

 

The loss of spirituality came slowly…at first clinging to the priest…using the Urim and the Thummim to decide what God’s will must be…and following it promptly.  But somewhere… not completely recorded in these first pages of Judges…the people began to let go of God’s presence.  Maybe they became tired…or they were not disciplined enough to carry through. But at some point they became weak enough for Satan to plant a seed of fear…that prevented them from remembering they had a God who had buried some chariots under gallons of water years before.

 

I resemble the Israelites in this one.  I see a task that looms greater than my talent or confidence...and I let it stop me dead in my tracks.  I see the iron chariot in front of me and cower in the farthest corner I can find….or run from it completely like Jonah.  I let the daily routine of my life tire me to the point that I shorten my time with the one person who can give me the power to overcome the fear…as Satan sits back with his smug expression of victory.

 

Thank God the Lord had someone record these verses in Judges…to remind me that I have a God who parted the red sea….and buried the fear of a nation behind them…so they could be his people and walk in his ways…and tap into his power to have blessing in their lives…and receive the complete blessing he promised in their life. Oh how I need to renew my confidence in God’s provision in my life….just as it says in Hebrews 10:35-36… “ Do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord, no matter what happens. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.”

 

Father…I thank you for this reminder that you are more powerful than any iron chariot that appears in my pathway.  Help me to renew my confidence in you…and pray for your guidance when it appears to overcome me.  Help me to stop letting Satan influence me…to make excuses for my weaknesses…and show me how to boldly ask you to work miracles with your power instead. Show me father how to remove fear from my heart…and replace it with the confidence your son had as he walked this Earth in ministry…and freely gave his life to save me from all my sins. Amen.

What Will You Serve?

Joshua 24:12-15 - And I sent hornets ahead of you to drive out the two kings of the Amorites. It was not your swords or bows that brought you victory.  I gave you land you had not worked for, and I gave you cities you did not build -- the cities in which you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.  "So honor the LORD and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the LORD alone.  But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD."

 

Joshua is days away from dying of old age.  So just like his great mentor Moses…he gathers the all the people of Israel together…the leaders…the moms….the dads…the brothers and sisters…the children.  He gives them one last pep talk…to make sure they understand how important following God is. He reminds them of all the great things God has done for them…and asks them the most important question they will ever be called to answer… “choose you this day whom you will serve?”

 

Joshua knew his choice…and he shouted it out with the reminder that the alternative of worshiping the idols of the people around them…the people they were supposed to have driven out…the people they  had allowed to stay in the land the great Lord had given them.  Joshua told them he and his house would serve God only…then he paused for their answer.

 

The people were all fired up for God…in that moment…their words repeating Joshua’s great answer.  They would love God with all their heart….and even allowed Joshua to help them make a covenant with God…and write it on a stone. Then he called for them to destroy every idol that existed in the land.  He called for them to destroy any image that might tempt them in the future to break their new covenant with God….and he set another stone that rested in the midst of them as a witness to the promise…and heard every word that they had said.

 

I can sure say with certainty that I have chosen to follow God too.  I can write my promise down…and make it binding between me and God. I can renew a passion to search my heart this morning for any idols…and try to purge everything in my life that keeps my eyes from staying completely on God.  I can even let my computer be the stone that keeps me accountable…for it watches me type my prayers to God every morning.

 

Once we make that decision…it will be hard to keep it. Satan searches every nook and cranny of our hearts…looking for a way to sneak that idol we kept back …into our view. The crowd is gone…we are alone…and that stone we placed as a witness is not shouting at us to be careful.  And so we break our promise…sometimes without even realizing it until we have let the idols back into our lives….the pride…the jealously…the greed…and the other things of this world that take our eyes off God.

 

Father…I thank you for the great resolve of Joshua…and the reminder he gave to us right before his death…to be completely sold out to you.  Help me this morning to search for those idols that still exist in my life…for I am sure there are many Satan has hidden from me…or disguised as good. I want my promise to love you…and your promise to love me...to be forever…and give me the power and strength to do the work you have placed me here to do. Help me to uncover any idol in my life that keeps me from following your will for my life. Amen.

Polluting God's Love

Joshua 23:11-15 -  So be very careful to love the LORD your God.  "But if you turn away from him and intermarry with the survivors of these nations remaining among you,  then know for certain that the LORD your God will no longer drive them out from your land. Instead, they will be a snare and a trap to you, a pain in your side and a thorn in your eyes, and you will be wiped out from this good land the LORD your God has given you.  "Soon I will die, going the way of all the earth. Deep in your hearts you know that every promise of the LORD your God has come true. Not a single one has failed!  But as surely as the LORD your God has given you the good things he promised, he will also bring disaster on you if you disobey him. He will completely wipe you out from this good land he has given you.

 

About 28 years…Joshua has led this people through victory after victory over the heathen people that occupied the land that God was giving them to live. They worshiped other gods…prayed to idols….practiced strange and inhumane things in the name of their gods. Now he was old…and close to his death…and like the mighty Moses…Joshua gives the Israelites one last word of wisdom and encouragement before he breathes his last.  He reminds them with as much voice as he can gather…that God will not tolerate these other gods in his midst. He warns them that trying to mix with even one person who does will allow Satan a foothold in their lives…that will eventually destroy the relationship they have built with Yahweh.

 

We need to be careful not to confuse God’s patience with the sins around us as approval for what is being done.  God did not just wipe out these pagan worshipers…he gave that job to the Israelites.  He wanted them to be obedient…and follow the command he had given them…to destroy any and all people who worshiped another god besides him.  God knew that just one strong willed pagan would pollute the whole nation of Israel.

 

This one is hard folks…cause we live in a different world now.  When God put his final plan to save the world in motion…he sent his son to die for us…and save our souls from the sin we committed. Now each person has a choice to follow him at whatever level they choose. That leaves Satan whole lot of room for his trickery...and he is always planning a way to convince us that sin...even a small one is okay.      Joshua is warning us here….just as he did the Israelites …that one small sin can pollute the love that God has built in our hearts…and eventually the small sins he tricks us into….will grow to take over the spot God used to live.

 

We have to be strong folks…and verbal against the things we know the Bible has told us are wrong…even when it costs us friendships…even when we know that we will be bashed for the stance we take.  God ordained marriage between a man and a woman…you can’t twist the scriptures to support the other option. Any religion that does not worship the one true God …Yahweh…is powered by Satan. And when we let anger….drugs or alcohol rule our lives instead of God…they have become an idol…and need to be removed from our lives.

 

I must always remember to love the person…as Jesus did when he invited himself to Zacchaeus’ home….or when he let Mary wipe his feet with her tears of thankfulness.  He could see the seeds of change planted in Zacchaus’ heart as he looked up into that tree… and he knew that Mary had already asked for forgiveness for her former sins.  So I must pray for the same discernment the father gave Jesus… to see soul around me and the seeds already planted there…to help them see their need for God…and know they are ready to hear his truth.  But until God reveals that moment when they are receptive to receive his love… I must always gently rebuke the sinful choice….letting them know I still love them as a person…planting new seeds that might someday grow into a love for God.

 

Father…I thank you for the reminder to put sin completely out of my life.  I ask that today you give me the tools I need to be like you.  To see the heart of each soul that crosses my path…and discern whether to plant a seed of love…or rebuke the behavior I know is wrong…and offer the hope of life with you.   Show me how to speak the truth of the Bible to others…and allow your love to do the rest.  Amen. 

No Misunderstandings!

Joshua 22: 9-12 -  So the men of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh left the rest of Israel at Shiloh in the land of Canaan. They started the journey back to their own land of Gilead, the territory that belonged to them according to the LORD's command through Moses.  But while they were still in Canaan, before they crossed the Jordan River, Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh built a very large altar near the Jordan River at a place called Geliloth.  When the rest of Israel heard they had built the altar at Geliloth west of the Jordan River, in the land of Canaan,  the whole assembly gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against their brother tribes.

 

Joshua had just told them how proud God was that they had never deserted their brothers…they had done a wonderful job…for probably 7 years….and now they could travel back to the land Moses had given them on the other side of the river. Joshua was careful to tell them in verse 5… “Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all his ways and to keep his commandments and to cling to him and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.” It must have been one giant traveling party as they celebrated...and anticipated the reunion with their children and wives who had not seen them since they left.

 

As they approached the river….it dawned on them that the physical separation of this mighty river…might eventually cause a permanent separation from their relatives.  As they began to ponder the mighty river between them…they were afraid that the tribes on the western side would discount them as God’s people…and tell them they had no claim to the mighty God that brought them so far.  So they built an altar… as a memorial…to remind the children and grandchildren to come that they too were a people who served the mighty Yahweh.

 

That would have been fine …if someone from the western tribes had heard the eloquent speech that birthed the monument.  But as Satan sometimes manipulates our thoughts…and where we are at any one time….the western tribes misunderstood…and were so scared that these eastern tribes had sinned…they prepared for a civil war that would destroy the sin….they gathered to plan the attack that would remove the sinners that threatened to separate them from God’s protection …peace…and rest.

 

It’s the thing that happened next that stuck in my spirit ...last night as I read the story…for I too am so quick to pass judgment sometimes on what I see or hear.  These brothers did not race over the river and destroy them without talking first.  They went to them…and asked them….and listened to the explanation of why they had built such a structure.  AND…they believed them…they accepted the words of their brothers and they were relieved to hear that they still believed in God.

 

Just like these Israelites…I am involved in a misunderstanding every day.  Sometimes what I say or do is interpreted by someone else to be thoughtless…or perhaps they have listened to a lie told to them about something I might have done to hurt them….or worse yet…they see me do something that they perceive as wrong. They do not take the time to come to me…and ask…as these brothers in Joshua did…so the truth can be known.  I am also guilty of seeing something I think is wrong…and not taking the time to go ask about it.  I even make it worse by going to someone to another …and venting…and spreading the misunderstood action in a gossip mode. No wonder so many misunderstandings go unresolved…and many are escalated to even end very close friendships. Maybe more misunderstandings would be resolved…if we took the time to pray for wisdom and discernment…and asked God for the courage to go talk it out like these brothers.

 

 

Father…thank you for the reminder that sometimes what I see and hear….is not the reality of what has happened.  Help me to remember that Satan is always lying in wait to use my misconceptions to drive wedges between the Christian love you have established with my friends and family.  Help me to realize that communication to them in love…and communication to you in prayer…will chase away the lies of Satan…and bind together those that truly search for God with all their heart…and all their soul…and all their mind.  Help me to cling to you…and not the words that hurt my feelings...or the visual image that has be questioning the friendship of another. Amen.

Be Accountable...

Joshua 21:1-3 and 41-43 -  Then the leaders of the tribe of Levi came to consult with Eleazar the priest, Joshua son of Nun, and the leaders of the other tribes of Israel.  They spoke to them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The LORD instructed Moses to give us towns to live in and pasturelands for our cattle."  So by the command of the LORD the Levites were given as their inheritance the following towns with their pasturelands.  …….

 The total number of towns and pasturelands within Israelite territory given to the Levites came to forty-eight. Every one of these towns had pasturelands surrounding it.  So the LORD gave to Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they conquered it and settled there

 

The Levites were the last tribe to receive their inheritance. God did not give them separate lands…but much like he took the rib from Adam to make his companion Eve…he had Joshua give them several recently conquered cities from each of the tribes.   The Levites were to set up their homes and pasture the cattle they owned in these 48 cities….spread throughout the Promised Land.

 

Since an Israelite would only have to travel about one day’s journey to any Levite town…it created a sort of double accountability for the people of God. Their offerings and gifts to the Lord could be brought to one of these cities….where they would find a Levite priest…ready to receive them…and assist them in requesting the favor of God on their lives.  And the Israelites were close enough to these families chosen by God to minister to his church…that they could provide accountability for them in their daily walk within the cities set up for them to care for their families.

 

It’s a great system God set up this day…. for we all need an accountability partner.  We need to know that there is always a minister…called of God…. at that church around the corner. One who can be our shoulder…our voice when we are confused. And theses ministers need to know that we will always bring our tithes and offerings to the church…to provide for their needs…and fund the various ministries that God set up to lead people to know his love.

 

I believe when God sent his son to die on that cross that he expanded this concept to all of us.  For as we choose to believe in him and follow him…we all become his ministers of love to others. We are called not just to give to our Pastors…but to all that live within the community of our churches. We need to keep each other accountable to God. Hebrews 10:24-25 says…, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”  I am called out daily by those that watch me closely…and I find my skills and love enhanced greatly…when I accept their gentle rebukes….instead of ignore them…or thrown them out as ill advice.

 

Father…I thank you once again for the reminder that you have placed your loving people all around me…close enough to watch me and give me support when I am weak.  Help me to keep my mind open to your voice…spoken through the people you have placed in my life.  Help me to listen to you carefully and learn to be your voice right back to them…so we can keep each other accountable to your laws.  Place in our heart… the ways you need us to help each other…and model to the lost world how your love can make us whole again. Amen.

No Revenge Allowed!

Joshua 20:1-3 and 9  -  The LORD said to Joshua,  "Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses.  Anyone who kills another person unintentionally can run to one of these cities and be protected from the relatives of the one who was killed, for the relatives may seek to avenge the killing.   …..

These cities were set apart for Israelites as well as the foreigners living among them. Anyone who accidentally killed another person could take refuge in one of these cities. In this way, they could escape being killed in revenge prior to standing trial before the community.

 

This was important...because Joshua took the time to record that God had spoken these words directly to him.  God told him to set up 6 cities…scattered equal distances from the entire Promised land…. so anyone who accidently killed someone would be able to run from those who sought unjustified revenge.  There would be 3 on each side of the River…so that no one would have more than a half day’s journey to get to one.  The management and care of the cities and the people who had to flee was designated to the tribe of Levite

 

One commentator allowed us to even ponder the Hebrew meanings of the 6 city names. The three cities west of the Jordan were Kedesh …meaning holy …Shechem ..meaning shoulder… and  Kiriath-arba….which was Hebron…meaning fellowship. The three cities east of the river were Bezer… meaning fortification…Ramoth…meaning high and exalted…and Golan…meaning joy.  Great names for places where God would protect and guard you in this time that had to be emotionally draining on those who had to use them.

 

The setting up of these cities helped God teach us that justice is not always an easy thing to decide. Our human emotions…especially in the loss of someone we love…cloud justice…and allow Satan to promote feelings of hate and bitterness...that increase our want to avenge the loss. There really are two kinds of emotions here…the hate and pain of the family who lost a loved one…and the pain and guilt felt by the one who caused the loss.  If you accidently caused the death of someone with a wreck…or the deer you thought you just shot was actually a person…some of the family and friends of the one who died would simply not accept your accident plea. These cities provided a cool down spot…where God could protect the life of the accused and provide a place for them to heal from what pain they had caused…while he decided what judgment was needed.

 

I have that verse….Revenge is mine, says the Lord …from Leviticus 19:18 ringing in my ears and heart.  And Romans 12:21 says…. “Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.”  God wants all of us to model his love and mercy and leave the judgment and punishment up to him. I for one am so very thankful that we don’t need physical cities of refuge anymore…because God sent his courageous and loving son who was obedient even to death on the cross.  His love provided the ultimate refuge for all wrongs…and if we but allow ourselves to be washed in his cleansing blood…we can experience the love and forgiveness that offers us protection from every sin we have ever committed.

 

Father… I thank you for the reminder that I have no right to judge the guilt or innocence of others around me.  Help me to always remember that revenge is not ever my human right…but that revenge is only for God. Help me to give him complete control over the world and the things he allows to teach us more about his love. Grant me peace and wisdom….in every situation that Satan tries to implant bitterness and hate. Place so much love and compassion in my heart that bitterness and hate have no place to grow.  Show me how to release the feelings of injustice to you…so you can help me understand ...and accept…and allow you be in control. Amen.

Boundaries

Joshua 19: 10-16  - The third allotment of land went to the families of the tribe of Zebulun. The boundary of Zebulun's inheritance started at Sarid. From there it went west, going past Maralah, touching Dabbesheth, and proceeding to the brook east of Jokneam.  In the other direction, the boundary line went east from Sarid to the border of Kisloth-tabor, and from there to Daberath and up to Japhia. Then it continued east to Gath-hepher, Eth-kazin, and Rimmon and turned toward Neah.  The northern boundary of Zebulun passed Hannathon and ended at the valley of Iphtah-el.  The towns in these areas included Kattath, Nahalal, Shimron, Idalah, and Bethlehem -- twelve towns with their surrounding villages.  This was the inheritance of the families of the tribe of Zebulun.

 

Joshua gave allotments of land to all the other tribes. For each one Joshua named the specific towns and cities that defined its boundaries.  This tribe had only 12 towns …the only one I had ever heard of was Bethlehem.  Each town would have to be conquered…completely emptied of all current dwellers...and reestablished as a city of God. Even Joseph was given a special area to live…because God said he was special.

 

As I read the commentary in my Bible…it dawned on me why God had Joshua use such detail in describing the boundaries of each area of land. He carefully penned the northern….southern…eastern and western limits of each tribe. They could not dispute these carefully written out descriptions of each tribes land.

 

Boundaries are important…they define our identity…tell us what is ours…and what we are responsible for. Boundaries give us clear ownership of what we have been given by God. They establish for us areas of responsibility. Each tribe was given a defined part of Canaan….to drive out the people who did not follow God’s laws…they were responsible for its care and rebuilding. Each tribe now knew what its part would be in claiming the Promised Land for God.

 

The boundaries described by Joshua reduced fighting later…over any area that might have been unassigned. It held them accountable for the directions God had given each to drive out the Canaanites… and establish the laws he had given Moses within the cities they would obliterate of people.  The boundaries also fulfilled the wonderful promise God made to Abraham in Genesis 15. They now possessed all the land he told Abraham would belong to the descendants he would give him through Isaac.

 

Father…I thank you for the boundaries you continue to set for me.  Help me father to open my eyes and see them clearly...so I will never wonder what is mine ever again. Go with me as you did these Israelites and help me to conquer anything that is preventing you from fulfilling the will of the father in me.  Teach me to be responsible for what you have given me...to fully take ownership of your word in my life. Amen.

No Procrastination

Joshua 18:1-5 -  The whole assembly of the Israelites gathered at Shiloh and set up the Tent of Meeting there. The country was brought under their control,  but there were still seven Israelite tribes who had not yet received their inheritance.  So Joshua said to the Israelites: "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?  Appoint three men from each tribe. I will send them out to make a survey of the land and to write a description of it, according to the inheritance of each. Then they will return to me.  You are to divide the land into seven parts. Judah is to remain in its territory on the south and the house of Joseph in its territory on the north.

 

The Israelites gathered at Shiloh to move the Tabernacle from Gilgal. It was time to give the tabernacle a permanent home…and the other seven tribes needed to know where they would inherit land. But something else was bothering Joshua’s spirit….they had not yet driven out all the Cannaanites.  Joshua simply reminds them…as they are moving the tabernacle that there were many people yet to conquer…and he was concerned that they had put off the directions of God to drive every Canaanite out of the Promised Land.

 

It’s our human nature to procrastinate when things are hard. Maybe they saw the high cost of war as unnecessary.…maybe they thought they could just settle around them...continuing to nurture the nomadic way they had lived the previous 45 years.  The leftover Canaanites were a peaceful people…certainly no threat…so many of them had become slaves….and the rest were more than willing to trade with the Israelites what they needed in exchange for their lives.  Maybe they saw the benefits of these settlements and simply thought it was okay…killing them would be so useless. The reasons really don’t matter.  It was disobedience to God’s direct orders…plain and simple…and Joshua took the opportunity to remind him.

 

I was reminded as soon as I looked at the clock that I too have a major problem with procrastination. I hit that snooze button one time too many…and it was really the dismiss button…and now I am running late again. Maybe I thought an extra 5 minutes would help me think better….but it didn’t work out that way. I sit once again at my computer…a lot later than usual….and my thoughts are not totally focused on God as they should be. Satan tricked me this morning once again.

 

 My humanness once again has me thanking the father that God loves me so much that he is patient with my disobedience…my procrastination… and even uses it to help me understand why I should work harder to be more zealous with this task he gave me to do.  He is reminding me this morning that I need to be careful…because there will come a day when it is too late….and my lack of passion…my failure to do what he tells me to do will result in much harsher consequences than the threat of being late to work.

 

Father...forgive me for my failure to jump out of bed and eagerly run to you each morning. Help me to ask you for added strength to start my day with you.  Help me hear your voice calling me when I wake…so I can hear what you have to teach me…and write it down quickly…and let it sink into my soul and give me strength to be your servant.  And even as I write the obvious this morning…I realize that there are probably many things you have told me to do that have been left undone. Oh father…give me discernment and memory to remember all the tasks you have given me to do…and the wisdom to prioritize them to bring the most glory to your kingdom. Amen.

Never Too Hard

Joshua 17:14-18 -  The people of Joseph said to Joshua, "Why have you given us only one allotment and one portion for an inheritance? We are a numerous people and the LORD has blessed us abundantly."  "If you are so numerous," Joshua answered, "and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizzites and Rephaites."  The people of Joseph replied, "The hill country is not enough for us, and all the Canaanites who live in the plain have iron chariots, both those in Beth Shan and its settlements and those in the Valley of Jezreel."  But Joshua said to the house of Joseph--to Ephraim and Manasseh--"You are numerous and very powerful. You will have not only one allotment  but the forested hill country as well. Clear it, and its farthest limits will be yours; though the Canaanites have iron chariots and though they are strong, you can drive them out."

 

Joshua had given the tribe of Manasseh a huge area in which to live…but they came to him and whined that it was not large enough. The land was quite adequate for the number of people they needed to support…but they saw the enormous amount of Canaanites that possessed the land…and the iron chariots they rode in…and felt inept to conquer the people there and take over the land for their own use….and so they asked Joshua for more land.

 

Joshua was quick to respond that they were welcome to possess the forested area inhabited by the Perizzites and Rephaites….if they wanted to clear the forests on those hills. And he also reminded them that they had a God who could help them conquer the land they were afraid to possess… where those iron chariots drove strong Cannaanites around. Joshua made sure to tell them that they might just have to work through their issues of fear.

 

I have to admit…many days I see the huge task of teaching as a similar scenario…and I …like these Manasseh leaders see my work as way too difficult for me to accomplish. I forget some days that even though the task seems way out of my expertize …or ability level…God can appear at any time that I ask and help me do anything I think is too hard. Jesus himself told us in Matthew 7:7…. “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”  And the wise James disclosed the source of his wisdom and strength in James 1:5…. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

 

Maybe God’s message to me this morning is that I just don’t believe…in this new creature he is turning me into…in the strength that he promised me if I would ask.  I allow the world to trick me into sitting back and not even trying...just like these Manasseh leaders. My humanness says it is way too hard….and I end up not even asking God to help me conquer it…but just ask him to give me something easier. I need to let those words of Joshua ring in my ears….though they are strong…you can drive them out. Just like it says in Philippians 4:13… “I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me.”

 

Father….I woke up so tired...not ready at all to visit with you and listen to you give me strength and wisdom from your word.  Forgive me for wanting to take the easy way out…and go back to sleep…and put off my visit with you.  Thank you for coaxing me gently out of bed…and helping me once again to sit and wait on you to appear and reveal a new way that I can strengthen my walk with you.  Help me to stop complaining about things that are hard…and learn to see all things in the light of your perfect eyes.  Help me to think like Caleb and Joshua…and see you walking beside me …even when I don’t realize you are there.  Help me once and for all to shed the humanness that limits me…and see all the tasks before me as tiny and small….because I know that you will always be right there with me. Amen.

So Good....I just Can't Tell It All!

Joshua 16:1-4 and 10 - The allotment for Joseph began at the Jordan of Jericho, east of the waters of Jericho, and went up from there through the desert into the hill country of Bethel.  It went on from Bethel (that is, Luz), crossed over to the territory of the Arkites in Ataroth,  descended westward to the territory of the Japhletites as far as the region of Lower Beth Horon and on to Gezer, ending at the sea. So Manasseh and Ephraim, the descendants of Joseph, received their inheritance.    ………..

They did not dislodge the Canaanites living in Gezer; to this day the Canaanites live among the people of Ephraim but are required to do forced labor.

 

Joshua continues the process of dividing the land…and this third allotment went to the two sons of Joseph. Half the tribe of Manasseh had chosen to live in the rich land on the east side of the Jordan River…so now the rest are given a place to raise their families on the other side along with the tribe of Ephraim. The boundaries in the northern area of Canaan describe a portion that is larger than even the Tribe of Judah’s region of the south.

 

It was unusual...to say the least...that these two sons of Joseph would be given this honor….for the youngest sons usually got their share of an inheritance last…not to mention that the grandsons only received what their father would have thought a fair share.  But these two tribes get third honors…as if they were the second oldest in the family.

 

The Bible isn’t very clear on why…maybe it was because Joseph was Jacob’s favorite all along…or maybe it was because Jacob had actually adopted these two sons way back in Genesis 48. Maybe it was just because God told Moses to do it this way...overriding the traditions they had used for years with a brand new concept. It really isn’t important to know every detail sometimes...but only remember that God sometimes blesses us with more than we deserve…just because he loves us that much.

 

It reminds me that if I sit down and try to make a simple list of all that God has given to me in my 54 years…it would take several notebooks of paper to write it all down.  From the honor of being born to two strong Christian parents…growing up with 4 sisters that helped to teach me love and respect for others at an early age… being adopted by God himself at 14…and knowing that he has covered me from that day on to help me find his purpose and will for living.  It’s like a song we sing at church…so good…I just can’t tell it all. 

 

Sure there have been storms and battles...and God has allowed me to experience some major sorrow …and defeat. I am more like these tribes than I care to admit…for they too failed to conquer the city of Gezer…and allowed them to live amongst them as slaves. But I would have 100 notebooks listing the clear blessings of God in my life…and the one notebook listing what I thought of as setbacks…would have amazing notes of how God has used them to show me something good about him.

 

Father…you are so good…and as I sit here visiting with you this morning I am reminded that you adopted me so many years ago and promised to never leave me.  Even when I chose to leave you…you waited patiently till I invited you back…cause I could not live completely on my own. I am humbled by the thoughts of how much you love me…and they begin to help me understand the love Jacob had for Joseph and his two sons.  Help me this day to concentrate on thanking you for all that you have done for me….allowing the thankfulness to overflow into the lives of those around me….so you can adopt even a multitude more of people before you return to give us our permanent inheritance in Heaven. Amen.

 

Here is a link to the song….So Good…I just can’t tell it all...done by the Mississippi Mass Choir   http://youtu.be/cj-nVx17V7U   

Three Simple Lessons

Joshua 15: 1-5 and 12  -  The allotment for the tribe of Judah, clan by clan, extended down to the territory of Edom, to the Desert of Zin in the extreme south. Their southern boundary started from the bay at the southern end of the Salt Sea,  crossed south of Scorpion Pass, continued on to Zin and went over to the south of Kadesh Barnea. Then it ran past Hezron up to Addar and curved around to Karka.  It then passed along to Azmon and joined the Wadi of Egypt, ending at the sea. This is their southern boundary.  The eastern boundary is the Salt Sea as far as the mouth of the Jordan. The northern boundary started from the bay of the sea at the mouth of the Jordan, ……….The western boundary is the coastline of the Great Sea. These are the boundaries around the people of Judah by their clans.

 

The tribe of Judah… assigned as a stand in for the eldest son of Jacob….was awarded its allotment first. They received the customary double portion of land given as a blessing and endowment to the eldest of a family. One of its members…the bold courageous Caleb…. had already received a portion promised just to him...so now Joshua describes the enormous allotment the rest of the tribe would use to live. Most commentaries say it covered an area around 3,000 square miles…with borders following the natural geography of the Promised Land north…south…east …and west.

 

The land they received contained numerous cities that would have to be conquered and destroyed.  I couldn’t pronounce many of the strange sounding names....so I just began to tally a simple count…around 113 from the NIV Bible I study from…I think!  They drove them all out…except one.  The Jebusites….who lived in Jerusalem…somehow managed to remain in control of the city….and eventually live ‘with’ the people of Judah according to verse 63.

 

I still sit here on a beautiful Saturday morning…not really understanding what God wants me to learn from this chapter.  I have asked…but no real answer has come yet.  My pot of coffee is almost empty…and I just sit here…continuing to ponder what lesson he might be trying to teach me this morning. Perhaps it is that some people just are blessed doubly….because God knows their heart…and he assigns to us what he knows we will strive to do for him. Perhaps it is that even when God gives to us a great blessing…it comes with additional battles…113 of them…before we begin to find peace and rest from our enemies.  Or perhaps it is that sometimes…no matter how hard we work for the Lord…there will always be that one person that just doesn’t get it…and they will remain an unbeliever…locked in whatever pain and misery they have built around them. Maybe I needed to hear all three of these tidbits this morning…a triple blessing on a beautiful sunny day!

 

Father…I thank you for the thoughts you placed in my heart this morning. I pray that you help me to accept the many blessings you pour out on me daily….and just enjoy them as a gift of your love.  I thank you for each battle that you have asked me to enter…and ask for your help to continue to fight for what you tell my heart is right. And father I pray for strength and courage to accept the things that I cannot change…for you give us all free choice…and sadly some will choose to never know your love.  I thank you for this beautiful day….and the thoughts of an approaching spring…when the Earth you created will appear new and fresh…and the dark of winter and the pain and sadness of past life will be lifted away in your wonderful love and gift of salvation.  Amen.

Faith...To Believe The Promises of God

Joshua 14:10-12 -  "Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the desert. So here I am today, eighty-five years old!  I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then.  Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said."  

 

Bold…courageous Caleb….he trusted God just like Joshua….and as the land is being divided…he recalls to his friend the promise that the Lord had made to Moses.  He had faithfully followed Moses…and now his friend Joshua for 45 years…knowing that this day would come.  For God had given him the very piece of land he saw as he spied out the land…45 years ago….a promise that had powered his faith…and kept him strong… healthy…bold…courageous…and passionate all these many years.

 

Oh what joy must have overflowed in his heart as he proudly walked the tribe of Judah to the beautiful land he had thought about for 45 years.  He was probably praying the whole time for God to reveal his plans for driving out those giants.  Or maybe he was shouting multiple thank you’s the entire walk. Maybe he recited the laws of Moses…and told the story of his spy days to the children that searched him out…as the hero of the tribe of Judah…. one who had seen the vision of God and not been afraid….despite the odds.

 

 

I want to grow up to be just like Caleb…with a faith that makes me believe at 85…I can do anything. I would like to have that faith today...in this moment…at 54. I want to fully grasp the power of faith in my life…and use it to move the giants that inhabit the land God wants to give me.  I am a bit behind….for his faith was fully in place at 45…and grew stronger every day he followed God’s will…and patiently waited for the promise to manifest in his life.  But I know a God who does miracles of might and power and wonder…so if I can find the strength to believe…God can go with me too….and even make up all the time I am behind.

 

Father…how wonderful you are to be so patient with me…and remind me so many times that I have a source of power and strength that can help me do anything. I thank you for Caleb…and his story of faith…that stretches beyond my human understanding of what we are capable of doing.  Remove the barriers that are blocking the growth of a ‘Caleb-like’ faith…that will power me to do anything…and never be afraid of anything worldly thing again. Amen.

What Task Have I Left Unfinished?

Joshua 13: 1,7, and 13   - When Joshua was old and well advanced in years, the LORD said to him, "You are very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over…..

and divide it as an inheritance among the nine tribes and half of the tribe of Manasseh."…..

But the Israelites did not drive out the people of Geshur and Maacah, so they continue to live among the Israelites to this day.

 

Joshua was getting old….most commentaries average his age around 100 years old when God spoke to him this day. He had been a great military leader…using his great listening skills…and a God-given boldness…to complete even the strange sounding military tasks he was asked to do. So God rewarded his ability to listen and his obedience in all tasks with a well-deserved rest.  He was to assign the remaining 9 and one half tribes who would live on the west side of the Jordan River ….the enormous land of Canaan…and charge them with driving out the remaining kingdoms that were not following God’s rules for living.

 

Each tribe that crossed to the west side of the Jordan…was appropriated a section of this great land…and as they enjoyed the great resources and provisions God had placed there….they were to drive out the pagans that remained.  They were to remain pure worshipers of God…and continue to follow his rules.  They were to build altars …and bring to  the Levites who would live around them…what they needed to care for them… bringing the first fruits of each area of land….the new lambs…the sacrifices of thanks described by Moses…and continue to worship him forever in this promised land.

 

They failed to drive out two distinct groups of people… and the cancer like pagan beliefs…slowly dislodged all the great training Moses and Joshua had implanted in the Israelites….it began to seep into the souls of the remaining people who were worshiping God. Maybe they got a little spoiled…maybe they grew tired of the same routines…maybe they failed to teach the importance of worshiping God to their children….maybe they grew too tolerant of the pagan practices around them…or perhaps it was a combining of these. But whatever the reason...they failed to complete the task they were given…and it will eventually separate them completely from God.

 

Makes me wonder…what task…well in my case it is probably what tasks…has God given me to do that I haven’t quite completed yet…and how is the remainder of that important task influencing the way I serve my God? I sure don’t want to be separated from him ever again…so I had better spend some time thinking about it. Maybe the way I jokingly say quite often that I want to retire soon is wrong…a Freudian slip perhaps…cause I am only 54 and not near the 100 years that Joshua put into serving God.  Maybe Satan has twisted my thinking the wrong direction….and I should be searching for what jobs I need to finish still.  Maybe the thoughts of rest have become a cancer… one that might destroy all the progress God has made in my soul in the last 54 years. Like the Israelites…I need to be careful to guard against becoming a little spoiled…or growing tired of the same routines…or failing to teach the importance of worshiping God to my children.  I need to guard against becoming too tolerant of the pagan practices around me.

 

Father…you amaze me with these lessons from Joshua…just when I read at night a huge list of land territories and think that it has nothing for me to apply to my daily life…you stick in my spirit 3 short passages embedded in the long complicated names of mountain lands and kingdoms of old. Thank you for that… thank you for reminding me that that cancer is not just a disease of the body…but it invades our very soul.  Help me this morning to pray for your covering and courage and strength….to evaluate my daily routines for the pure worship you called me to bring to you at 14.  Help me this morning to stop thinking about rest…and ask you to bring to my remembrance the tasks that you have given me to do that I have set aside…and forgotten...like all those craft projects still to be finished….tucked away in the drawers and closets of my home.  Place in my spirit …one by one…in the order of most importance…each task I need to pick back up…and renew my soul with the passion I need to complete it. Amen.