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.

Precious Times of Peace And Rest

Joshua 12:1, 6, and  24 -  These are the kings of the land whom the Israelites had defeated and whose territory they took over east of the Jordan, from the Arnon Gorge to Mount Hermon, including all the eastern side of the Arabah……..

Moses, the servant of the LORD, and the Israelites conquered them. And Moses the servant of the LORD gave their land to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh to be their possession…..

the king of Tirzah, one thirty-one kings in all.

 

The ones who had requested to live on the East side of the Jordan with their great flocks and families could finally return to their families and herds.  The land had been conquered...31 kings and cities had been vanquished from a land that flowed with blessings for the people of Israel. God called Moses ….and he obeyed and started the huge process of rescuing the Israelites…and teaching them to depend on God.  Then Joshua brought it to completion….following all the rules he had been given to wipe out 31 kingdoms of evil people…so God could bless the Israelites…and they could enjoy a time...a season of peace and prosperity. 

 

God had so blessed the Israelites with his power…with his strength…with his mercy… that they could now rest in his great provisions. Joshua did not become drunk on his accomplishments…but gave due praise to his mentor and teacher…remembering the wonderful training he had received at Moses hand…remembering the promise Moses had made to the tribes that wanted to possess the land on the far side of the Jordan.  Joshua also remembered the God who he followed…and how he conquered the land for them…with miracles and strange military tactics that wrote stories of wonder of God’s deliverance…not man’s power or intelligence.

 

Times of peace should be precious…I have peeked…and the fighting isn’t entirely over…each tribe is going to have to fight some minor battles within the inheritance they will receive.  I guess that is just the way God designed it...for he calls to us to give our life to him completely…grants us total deliverance from our enemies and sins with his great power and mercy…then gives us each a period of true peace and prosperity. But Satan never truly leaves us alone while we are still on this earth…he watches us closely and sets all kinds of traps…that keep us battling his influence over our decision to follow Christ.

 

God’s mercies are always there….new ones that bring us back to a deeper understanding of who he is…that also call us to remember all the former mercies that brought us to this season of peace…that we pray will last for a long …long…time…cause it is just sweet beyond words to rest in the grace of the father awhile…especially when the battles we have fought to get there were difficult or painful.

 

Thank you God…you have granted me so much peace in these last few weeks.  I marvel at just how wonderful life has been…and how you can take the battles of the past…the pain and memory of tragic things…and use them to remind me that they were all a part of how you taught me to love you…to draw me into a deeper understanding of who you are…and what I am to be about in this present world.  Help me to enjoy this peace…as I know as I write this… Satan is plotting his next trap…he knows me almost as well as you…and I will need your eyes…and ears…and heart to recognize it.  Thank you for all the people like Moses…that you have used to teach and train me…and thank you in advance for all the new teachers and mentors you have lined up to work with me in the future.  Help me to listen...and discern from their words quickly what you would have me do next in life. Amen.

Victory Despite The Odds

Joshua 11:1-6 - When Jabin king of Hazor heard of this, he sent word to Jobab king of Madon, to the kings of Shimron and Acshaph,  and to the northern kings who were in the mountains, in the Arabah south of Kinnereth, in the western foothills and in Naphoth Dor on the west;  to the Canaanites in the east and west; to the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites in the hill country; and to the Hivites below Hermon in the region of Mizpah.  They came out with all their troops and a large number of horses and chariots--a huge army, as numerous as the sand on the seashore.  All these kings joined forces and made camp together at the Waters of Merom, to fight against Israel.  The LORD said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid of them, because by this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel, slain. You are to hamstring their horses and burn their chariots."

 

Joshua was looking at more than 20 armies…and that is a low estimate. The odds of his few men winning a battle against the combined force of 20 huge armies were not in his favor. So God just gave him a gentle reminder…that he did not need even odds to provide victory for him that day. He even gave him a timeline…to know that this was not going to be a long drawn out battle.  This battle had already been claimed by God…and all Joshua had to do was fight it …destroy every person from the other armies…and  destroy all the horses and chariots they rode on.

 

It is just like God to let me oversleep today…just to see if I will claim the same promise. So I sit at almost 7….listening to him give me the words I need to finish a task that I promised I would always try and complete first thing in the morning. And I am finding that even in this small task...I can have victory against the odds…because I usually get up at 5 to start my day with God.

 

We can be victorious over everything that God gives us to do…despite the odds. Just like that day he fed the 5,000 men with a few fish and loaves of bread…recorded in Matthew 9:35-38 and Mark 6:30-44…which was probably in reality was over 10,000 when you factor in the women and children that were not counted. All Jesus did was ask his father to bless it…and did he ever bless it. There are so many examples of God showing off despite the earthly odds …like sweet 90 year old Sarah in Genesis 21 …who gave birth to her first child despite her human years. God is a God who can do anything …that he has ordered us to do.  He will equip us with whatever we need…we just have to walk out on faith….and allow his vision to give us strength and power.

 

Father….you are so amazing…and I thank you for the extra hour of sleep…and the lesson you have taught me today.  Thank you for Joshua…who showed his faith in you and recorded this amazing victory for me…to remind me that in all things I can be more than a conqueror…just like it says in Romans 8:37….because… “ in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Help me to rest in that love this day…and use it to complete everything that I think will be hard. Amen.

Be Strong And Couragous

Joshua 10: 24-25 -  When they had brought these kings to Joshua, he summoned all the men of Israel and said to the army commanders who had come with him, "Come here and put your feet on the necks of these kings." So they came forward and placed their feet on their necks.  Joshua said to them, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight."

 

It had been a doubly long day.  God had stopped the sun and moon from moving for maybe an extra 24 hours say some commentaries. The Israelites had not only protected the Gibeon slaves they had made a peace treaty with…but destroyed 5 other cities.  These 5 kings thought they had escaped...but the Israelite army had rolled a large rock over the mouth of the cave…and trapped them where they hid…and now Joshua was dragging out their death…to use them as a teaching tool.

 

Joshua wanted to transfer some of the courage and zeal God had given him to conquer the land of Canaan to his soldiers.  He used the visual of these 5 kings…dying at the hand of the Joshua’s sword…to speak what must have been his favorite words once again.  ….."Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight" …in hopes that tall the men would become as zealous as he was for the task God had given them to do.

 

These words were not meant for just the battle field.  They should resonate in our minds and give our spirit the power to do everything God calls us to do. I sure needed to hear them…and let God speak to me…for I have this self-confidence problem he seems to be working on lately.  Just yesterday…I felt my heart drop as the choir director handed me a microphone to help lead the praise music at church last night.  My hands got all sweaty...and I quickly glanced at my friend to vocalize my fears.  My voice is meager at best…and I always fear I will mess up the words…or rhythm…and I always let the thought that someone else could do the job better run through my mind. I didn’t even go to church Sunday morning…gripped by fear that some snow falling at the time would cause me to wreck.  And let’s not even go into hoe nervous I get when he gives me an opportunity to speak to adults!

 

Joshua’s words were meant to help me realize that the power to complete any task is not in myself…but in the strength of God if I would only stop before each task and claim it.  He can take my meager voice and turn it into just what he needs…to speak his message to the ones he led to our service.  He can take a small portion of courage and enable me to drive wherever he needs me to be…whatever the weather is.   The cure for my low self-esteem issues have always been waiting for me in God’s great arms…I just have to learn to claim his power and courage before I begin any task. 

 

Father…you see the tears that flow fresh as I realize once again that I have settled way too many times on the human strengths and talents you blessed me with.  I thank you for the reminder that every talent you blessed me with …has a huge reserve of heavenly power that I should be tapping into on a regular basis.  Give me a gentle reminder…the next time that I am tempted by Satan to depend upon myself...to depend upon my human understanding of what you gave me to use for you. Place these words of Joshua….so close to the surface of my heart that they whisper in my ears every time I begin a task you gave me to do. Help me father to not just understand these words….but claim them…and let them make me bold beyond my wildest dreams…so you can use me in ways I never thought possible before. Amen.

Ask God First...Cause Our Word is Binding

Joshua 9:9-15 -  They answered: "Your servants have come from a very distant country because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we have heard reports of him: all that he did in Egypt,  and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan--Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth.  And our elders and all those living in our country said to us, 'Take provisions for your journey; go and meet them and say to them, "We are your servants; make a treaty with us." '  This bread of ours was warm when we packed it at home on the day we left to come to you. But now see how dry and moldy it is.  And these wineskins that we filled were new, but see how cracked they are. And our clothes and sandals are worn out by the very long journey."  The men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not inquire of the LORD.  Then Joshua made a treaty of peace with them to let them live, and the leaders of the assembly ratified it by oath.

 

The people of Gibeon were clever. They saw the alliances being made by all the other kings in Canaan.  But they were so afraid…for their very life…that they wove a set of lies…even created costumes to make them believable…and performed their great deception with flawless skill.  Joshua and the leaders of Israel were so convinced that they forgot to ask God what to do…and they made a treaty of peace with them…a binding vow that they would not kill them.  A vow they would have to keep…even when they learned 3 days later the truth.

 

Joshua should have asked God…but he allowed Satan to hide his eyes from the truth…and his compassion for these people swelled in his heart…and somehow prevented him from remembering to take the matter to God before he made such a binding decision.  He had to swallow his pride as he admitted to the people that he had made a serious mistake….and further remind the Israelites how God felt about the vow they had ratified with these people…even though they were proven liars.  Moses had told them in Numbers 30:1-2…. “Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: "This is what the LORD commands:  When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

 

There are really two lessons for us in this story.  One is that we always…always…always…need to ask God what to do…with every decision we are faced with...great or small.  I struggle so much with this...because I mirror Joshua’s deep compassion… and I just let the situation ….quickly make the call for me. Sometimes I see the truth and do the right thing…but sometimes I make the wrong one and pay a heavy price. My friend says that I should pray for the ability to discern situations as I see them...to see through the fake stories of hurt…to use God’s eyes every time I am asked for help.  Discernment is a sort of prepaid card of prayer to God…to help us size up a seemingly serious situation….but I have to at least learn to glance heavenward and shoot a quick “God…help me know what to do with this”…when I clearly have no clue.

 

The story also reminds me that my word is binding.  If I make a promise…and later realize that I made it without asking God…I am still bound by my word...and he will hold me accountable.  Joshua was right to keep his promise…he knew what Moses had said was right….even if he had to swallow his pride and admit that he had made a mistake.  He had promised not to kill them…so he chose to command a life of slavery for them…water carriers and wood cutters…for the remainder of their life.

 

Maybe there are three lessons…if we stop and really think about the Gibeons part in this story.  They did not know the Lord…they knew of him…and that was scary…for knowing the promise God had made to the Israelites meant they had to die.  I guess I would spin a creative web of deception to try and save my life too…if I had no protection from the God of Yahweh.  I mean think about it…they were not under his protection…a sort of ‘unsaved’ person in our terms today. Maybe God used Joshua’s mistake to teach his love to these people…as they walked among the Israelites and watched them.  I know it is a stretch here…but maybe a few of those Gibeons became followers of God…because they were spared...even though it was under a curse of slavery.

 

Father…I thank you for the way you work your love into every situation...even when we get so busy or taken by the tricks of Satan.  I pray for a double dose of that discernment father…and a little extra memory in my old age to remember to always glance up at heaven and whisper the question… “what do you want me to do?”  Help me to learn to ask your will in every situation…small or large. I thank you for reminding me that when I have spoken a promise…it is binding…even when it was made without thoughts of how you feel. Help me to be honest and truthful and always do what I have spoken to others…especially when I realize it may not have been the right thing to do.  Amen.

Altars of Thanks

Joshua 8:30-33 - Then Joshua built on Mount Ebal an altar to the LORD, the God of Israel, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the Israelites. He built it according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses--an altar of uncut stones, on which no iron tool had been used. On it they offered to the LORD burnt offerings and sacrificed fellowship offerings. There, in the presence of the Israelites, Joshua copied on stones the law of Moses, which he had written. All Israel, aliens and citizens alike, with their elders, officials and judges, were standing on both sides of the ark of the covenant of the LORD, facing those who carried it--the priests, who were Levites. Half of the people stood in front of Mount Gerizim and half of them in front of Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had formerly commanded when he gave instructions to bless the people of Israel.

 

Once they had put the sin out of their camp…God told Joshua to go back to Ai…and take it.  It was a mighty victory…for God had given Joshua a clever battle plan…and even allowed the Israelites to plunder the town…and keep the loot for themselves this time. Joshua was so overwhelmed with God’s blessings from the victory…that he stopped and gave thanks…as his predecessor Moses had once told him to do.  And in the presence of all the people...he built an altar of uncut stones…inscribed the ten basic laws on them…offered sacrifices to God…and reread the laws God had given Moses.

 

It just goes to demonstrate what can happen when we relinquish the worries of life to God and accept the victories in our lives he wants to give us. When we put away the sin that Satan locks himself to in our lives…and allow God to cleanse it from our existence…he cannot only give us victory…but bless us beyond our wildest dreams as well. It’s just like the story Matthew recorded for us in Matthew 6…when Jesus told us in person that our worries do not change a thing about tomorrow. He said, “If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  There it is…in Joshua and Matthew…God wants to bless us…if we seek him first….and remove the sin that Satan tracks us with.

 

And when the blessings flow into our lives…we need to stop and give thanks.  Just like Joshua...we need to stop and give thanks to the God that gave us the victory. Joshua did not stop at just a simple thanks.  He built an altar…and inscribed on it the 10 laws God gave Moses….and reread the whole book of law to the people God had given him to lead. What a church service they must have had that day…as they celebrated a time when they listened to God… and received a mighty blessing…and renewed the knowledge of the laws they were to follow…so sin could be kept out of the camp in the future.  And what a reminder that we need to constantly stop and give thanks to God for all our victories and blessings…and reread the word he left us to live our lives by…so we can know how to have victory over Satan the next time he comes to us with a sweet sounding deal.

 

Father…I thank you for this reminder that you are completely in control. Thank you for the simple words of Joshua that show me to rid my life of all sin so you can give me victory over the tricks of Satan here on Earth.  Help me remember to always stop when you bless me …and thank you...with my voice….with my actions…with everything you have given me.  Show me how to share every blessing with others…so they can see your love. Amen.

Confession

Joshua 7:16-20  -  Early the next morning Joshua had Israel come forward by tribes, and Judah was taken.  The clans of Judah came forward, and he took the Zerahites. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward by families, and Zimri was taken. Joshua had his family come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was taken.  Then Joshua said to Achan, "My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and give him the praise. Tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me."  Achan replied, "It is true! I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I have done:

 

God had given them specific orders…to destroy everything inside the walls of Jericho.  They were to leave nothing intact…save the bronze….iron … silver and gold that they were told to put in the Lord’s sacred treasury. But someone…a man named Achan…had disobeyed.  He had seen a beautiful robe…and Satan planted a seed of desire in his heart…and he took not just the robe…but some silver...and gold…and hid it under his tent. 

 

It placed an unseen curse upon the army…and they lost their next battle…a seemingly easy one...that they had only brought a few thousand men to fight.  They lost many men in the battle...and the seed of greed Satan planted in Achan turned to fear every heart of the Israelites. Joshua was so confused at the loss that he fell prostrate to the ground and cried out to God for answers.  And God came quickly to Joshua…and told him of the disobedience that existed in the camp.  He outlined through his anger…a public way to screen the whole camp…tribe by tribe….clan by clan...family by family…so the disobedience could be exposed…and the sin dealt with…so the curse could be removed.

 

Joshua called for his confession…which Achan gave quickly…and the sin…and the family that had committed it...was quickly dealt with.  They were all stoned…and all their belongings burned and destroyed…removing any trace of the sin that had cursed the camp.  God even allowed Joshua to mark the spot with large rocks…and name the valley where it had happened the Valley of Achor…to remind the people of the high price of sin.

 

Makes me so very glad that God allowed me to live in a time when his son has already paid the price of all my sins.  Jesus’ death and resurrection allow me to live in a world of less harsh rules…where my sin doesn’t end in such a violent death.  My confessions of sin simply bring God’s forgiveness and mercy…and allow me the great honor of releasing the guilt I felt from my sin to him…and letting him use it to empower me to change into a new creature.

 

Satan tries to trick us into keeping our sins hidden in our hearts…so it can fester and lock us in our past.  But God wants us to be more like Achan…and confess our sins freely … so he can empower us to move past the pain and hurt the sin may have caused. Confession frees us from Satan’s lies with the truth….eases the pain from our actions…empowers us to release the blame we place on ourselves …and allows us to receive the saving grace and cleansing of Christ’s redeeming blood on our life.

 

Father...thank you for the son you sent that saves me from the sure death I deserve from my sins.  Help me to always ask you…every day…to expose any sins that I still harbor in my heart. Let me confess them freely and quickly…so you can help me to purge all these sins from my life …and begin to heal me from the hurt and pain they may have caused to myself or others.  Amen.