I woke this morning feeling a bit sluggish, foggy, and pretty unmotivated. I found myself wishing that I was farther along in my spiritual maturity and wondering why so many areas of my life showed little signs of victory. I really thought that by this time in my life I would have conquered more and been way more effective in "storming the gates of hell". So...after doing a few tasks and still not feeling any better I picked up my Bible and read a verse in Joshua that literally jumped off the page at me. The background to the verse is that seven tribes of Isrealites came to Joshua and were whining and complaining because they had not received their "land inheritance" yet. All the other tribes were settling in to their new homes but not them. I fully expected Joshua to be a little understanding and see how hard their journey had been and how "unfair" it had been for all of the other tribes to get their inheritance first, and just basically have a little "pity party" with them. However, this is just the exact OPPOSITE of what Joshua said. I quote, "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?" If I read this correctly I do not see a hug or kleenex anywhere in the story. Rather I see a challenge. If I could paraphrase Joshua here I think he said, "Quit your whining and get busy claiming that which God has already given you!! If you want your inheritance - go get it!!" (So much for my "poor me" mentality today.)
Joshua refused to give in to their "poor me" mentality. He acknowledged that what they said was true - they did not have their land yet. However, he placed the responsibility for that fact squarely on their shoulders. He brought to their attention that they were the ones waiting to begin - not God. Granted the job would not be easy but they had been promised that God would go before them and had already given them the victory.
God has designed our lives so that we can be victors and overcomers. He challenges us to live lives of great conquests. Phillip Keller in his book, Joshua, Mighty Warrior and Man of Faith said, "He (God) calls all of us away from despair and defeat. Like Joshua, Christ challenges us to enter new territory, to overcome the enemy, to clear the ground of our lives from the undergrowth of this world. He stirs us to seek higher ground, to enter the rich abundant life He offers, to find repose and contentment in Him."
Too often in my life I have lived just the opposite of this. I have been easily defeated and discouraged. But that is not to be my destiny - my "lot in life". So...I hear the call to victory this morning. Part of the reason I am not where I want to be lies within my own reach. Over and over again in Scripture I see examples of men and women who stepped up to the challenge. With God they "overcame" all kinds of impossible situations and did amazing things for the kingdom. These were not "special" but rather ordinary people (just like you and me) who believed God and trusted Him completely when He said to do something. Paul said something about that kind of life in Phillipians. He encourages us with these words, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." This is not a verse for the whiners and complainers. Sounds to me like a bugle call to begin an amazing life!!
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