Good morning guys! Joshua chapter 18.
There are seven tribes who still need to receive their inheritance of land. Joshua confronts them and says how long will you wait before you go and take the land God has already given you? He's waiting for you to go!
Why do we procrastinate? What has God has already given us? What promise? What victory? It's easy to get distracted from what God is trying to do. It's easy to get comfortable again. It's easy to dread the work that has to be done in order to receive the blessing or promise from God. It's easy to get sidetracked.
Israel had all this land God already waiting for them. They just needed to put some work into determining who gets what. Not an easy task but they procrastinated from doing it for whatever reason. They did not move forward. They stayed right where they were. Standing still does not get things done. Sometimes we just need to ACT. Get UP and GO. TAKE what God has already given us.
As a camp, in order to function as a Ministry we need campers. We're a camp! It only makes sense. A few months after arriving I began to believe God would provide more campers. Not a couple but a few hundred more. I've preached it and I've believed it. But two summers ago, we had the same amount of campers as the year before. This summer, we had 15 less. It's tough not seeing progress when you believe God has spoken to your heart that he will provide the new campers. I've been somewhat discouraged. Maybe I have even let Satan have a foothold in my faith and allowed him to discourage me. Perhaps God is confronting me saying what are you doing? How long before you get up and start moving forward in faith believing I can do a miracle? Miracles come in God’s time, not mine!
So God forgive me of my impatient Faith or lack thereof. Help me stand firm in faith believing what you can do to provide more campers For Your Glory! Help me not give up believing, but y
to trust you to fulfill your promise in your timing and not mine. Help me not put my demands on you but to keep moving forward trusting you each and every step. And as you gave the Israelites a plan on how to take and distribute their inheritance, so I ask for your spirit to give me wisdom and the plan that you would want me to follow in helping move forward for the promise you have given me.
In Jesus name, amen!
Thanks Pastor Blair for being open and honestly sharing with us again just as you have so many times before.
Chapter 18 reminded me of the parable of the talents that we find in Matthew 25:14-30. When God gives us something, we shouldn’t just ignore it or bury it. In His perfect timing, He wants us to take what’s been promised to us and use whatever that gift is for His glory.
Take a look at how Jesus addressed Cleopas and the other guy on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:25.
And He (Jesus) said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!”
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I don’t want to be ‘slow of heart to believe’ whatever God has for me. I was thinking about what happened in Matthew 14:22-33. May we have faith like Peter did when he stepped out of the boat to come to Jesus. It would be so great to keep our focus completely on Jesus for 100% of the time, but if we end up getting distracted by the things of this world just as Peter did, may we also remember to call on Jesus to rescue us whenever we may start to doubt and sink.
Jim, I appreciate your added words and use of Scripture. It is a blessing for sure!
Wonderful thoughts this morning – thank you, brothers-in-Christ!
The word used to “describe” literally means to survey. Joshua asked them to survey the land. They wouldn’t have learned this skill in the wilderness but probably learned it from their parents who would have learned it in Egypt. History tells us the children of Israel didn’t only make bricks but were involved in many massive construction projects in Egypt. God used their skills for His purposes in the Promised Land. We need to remind our kids today that learning is important because God will use it for His purposes in ways we don’t see now.
God has an exacting plan custom-designed for you and me.
Lord, what do You want me to do? What’s Your plan for me today?
Jeanine, I am continually impressed with your historical comments that also help us better understand the context of Scripture. Thank You!!