09.29.09: 18 - 24

How often do you just put off tasks or work or working out... Joshua asked why some of the tribes were putting off the job of possessing the land. Often we delay doing jobs that seem large, difficult, boring, or disagreeable. But to continue putting them off shows lack of discipline, poor stewardship of time, and in some cases, disobedience to God. Jobs we don't enjoy require concentration, teamwork, twice as much time, lots of encouragement and accountability. Remember this when you are tempted to procrastinate.

God proved faithful in fulfilling every promise he had given to Israel. Fulfillment of some promises took several years, but "not a single one of all the good promises the Lord had given to the family of Israel was left unfulfilled." God's promises will be fulfilled according to his timetable, not ours, but we know that his word is sure. The more we learn of those promises God has fulfilled and continues to fulfill, the easier it is to hope for those yet to come. Sometimes we become impatient wanting God to act in a certain way now. Instead, we should faithfully do what we know he wants us to do and trust him for the future.

23:8. Joshua was dying and so he called all the leaders of the nation together to give them his final words of encouragement and instruction. His whole message can be summarized in this verse "Cling tightly to the Lord your God." Joshua has been a living example of those words, and he wanted that to be his legacy. For what do you want to be remember and what do you want to pass on to your children and associates? You can leave them nothing better than the admonition to hold on to God and to the memory of a person who did.

You don't have to be old to forget something of great importance. It happens to people all the time. It's happened to you, hasn't it? Or can't you remember!?
Israel is quite forgetful throughout this time in their history. "How what was that God we were serving? Oh bother, I can't remember quite why I've got this book of Law in my hands" - or something like that. The Israelites are forgetting their heritage and lessons learned in the past, and God continues to remind them.
The covenant between Israel and God was that the people would worship and obey the Lord alone. Their purpose was to become a holy nation that would influence the rest of the world for God. The conquest Canaan was a means to achieve this purpose but Israel became preoccupied with the land and lost sight of the Lord God.
The same can happen in our lives. We can spend so much time on the means or methods that we forget the end - to glorify God. Churches may make this mistake as well. For example, the congregation may pour all of its energies into a new facility, only to become self-satisfied or fearful of letting certain groups use it. If this happens, they have focused on the building and lost sight of its purpose- to bring others to God.
What is your purpose at work? at home? Make your actions there a part of fulfilling God's highest purposes. Remember what God has called you to do and your promises to Him.

Joshua and Eleazar died but not before laying before the people the fundamentals of what is means to faith in God. We are to honor and serve the Lord alone (24:14). This is based on a choice to obey him instead of following other gods (24:15). We are incapable, however, of properly worshipping him because our rebellion and sins (24:19). By choosing God as Lord, we enter into a covenant with him (24:25) whereby he promises not only to forgive and love us, but also to enable us by his Spirit to do His work here on earth. This covenant requires us to renounce the principles and practices of the culture around us that are hostile to God's plan (24:23). This is not to be done alone but by binding ourselves together with others who have faith in God. (Deuteronomy 30:15-20 - Moses delivers a very similar message.)