S) "4 And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as He spoke to them; therefore turn now and go to your tents, to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan. 5 Only be very careful to observe the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God and walk in all His ways and keep His commandments and hold fast to Him and serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."
Joshua 22:4-5 (NASB)
O) The Reubenites, Gadites, and half of Manasseh are cleared to go back across the Jordan, back to where they determined to settle. They were commanded to fight with and for their brothers to possess the Promised Land, but now they've fulfilled that obligation. Joshua commands them again, to keep the commandments of the LORD and to hold fast to Him and to continue to serve Him. Specifically, to do all of this remotely, across the Jordan river, while they are away from the majority of the Israelites.
A) I can almost play this one out literally. Shortly after returning to the LORD as an adult, I moved back to California and started serving at a church with my brother. We were fighting side by side. He left that church to plant his own within that year, but still in the same area. We were in Redding for 5 years, fighting the good fight, serving next to one another - relatively speaking. Then, my family moved back home to Washington, leaving my brother and his family behind. The thing is, while I have something to fight - a target, if you will - it's very easy to serve God faithfully. With an enemy in front of me, it's easy to remember why I'm fighting, who I'm fighting, and what it takes to fight. In that regard, it's the times of peace that are the most dangerous. The truth is, there is never a time of peace, just a different fight. Since moving back to Washington, I haven't joined any church staff. I wouldn't say my salvation is in any kind of jeopardy, but identifying my target, my fight, has been a struggle at times. The specific command that speaks to me the loudest, is to hold fast to Him. I need to hold fast to Him with all my heart and with all my soul.
P) Father, I want to continue to be used by You. Show me the fight I should be fighting. I know my brother still needs my prayers, so let the Holy Spirit remind me to cover him in prayer. I know that I need to fight for my own family, for peace, provision, joy, and salvation, ultimately. But God, show me what else, if anything right now, I should be fighting for. I will wait if I should wait, but I don't want to be missed where I am truly needed. Thank You that the victory is Yours, though, Father. It is comforting to remember that the victory is Yours. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment