We Will Certainly Not Abandon the Lord

 


I have written recently about my tendency to make idols out of the things and/or people in my life, and this morning, the last chapter of the book of Joshua gives me a little more insight on that topic. The last chapter is Joshua's "farewell address" to the children of Israel before he dies. He begins by reminding the people of all the things that God had done for them, from promising Abraham that he would be father of a nation to rescuing the Israelites out of Egypt to bringing them into the Promised Land. Then Joshua asks the people an important question about who they are going to worship, the true God or the false gods. This question leads Joshua to the often quoted line:
"...As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15
Of course, the people responded that they will also worship the one true God, then they list reasons why they will continue to worship Him.

Beginning in verse 19, Joshua called the people out and told them that they wouldn't be able to worship God. Joshua had spent his entire life among these people, and he knew exactly what kind of people they were. I am sure he remembered the multiple times that the people complained to Moses and Aaron that they would have been better off staying in Egypt than wandering in the wilderness. For that matter, Joshua must have been there when the Israelites decided to make their own gods to worship while they waited for Moses to come down from the mountain. Joshua knew that these people would not be able to sustain the worship they claimed, and he ended with a warning that if they did not remain faithful to God then He would destroy them.

Here I sit this morning, feeling like a modern-day Israelite. In my own words and thoughts, I have professed many times that "I will certainly not abandon the Lord." Yet I know that I do not have the stamina to remain faithful on my own. Over and over again, I grow tired and weary and discouraged, which causes me to begin to worry that God has forgotten about me. No, I don't decide to create a golden calf to worship, but I know that I begin to turn from thoughts of how faithful God has been to me to fears that He has left me behind. In some ways, those fears are my own version of a golden calf, something that draws my focus away from the God who loves me.

I read a quote one time that says something along these lines: "If you begin to feel distant from God, remember who moved." God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, so if someone moved, it must be me. Like the Israelites, my faith seems to waver. Some days, I have the faith to move a mountain, and I am ready to pick up a shovel and get started. Other days, all I see is the mountain. One of my favorite new songs is called "Highlands," and it includes this line:
"I will praise You on the mountain,
And I will praise You when the mountain's in my way."
Four times in Joshua's farewell address (verses 16, 18, 21, and 24), the Israelites declared that they would worship the Lord, and I would like to add my own declaration to theirs. I admit that the mountain seems a little taller this morning, but I am committed to praise.

Heavenly Father, Forgive me for feeling distant this morning, and please help me to draw closer to you. I know there is no mountain too big or too tall for you, and I trust that you will either help me move that mountain or you will help me climb over it. Either way, Lord, I am committed to praising you. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That Light Shines in the Darkness

Image
  My favorite poem includes the phrase "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep." This year, I have experienced much of the darkness of God's woods, along with its loveliness and depth, but one thing has remained true: Jesus is my light shining in the darkness. I may not be able to see what might be around the next turn, but the darkness will not overcome my guiding light. For the past few weeks, I have not written as much as when I started recording this journey, and part of the reason is that I have wandered a little too much in the darkness. Once again, things have not gone the way I would have planned, and I have allowed the twisting path through the woods to cause me to become scared and anxious, instead of looking where the light shines. Today, I feel like the woods are a little less dense, and it is easier to see where I am supposed to be heading. I am not out of the darkness of the woods yet, but it feels like the trees are spread a little further apart. All I have t...
Read more

He Will Turn the Hearts of Fathers to Their Children

Image
Yesterday was the first day of classes at both Appalachian State University and NC State University, and I spent a large portion of my day thinking about and praying for both Rayne and Abe, our two sons. Both of these young men have overcome some major obstacles to make it to college, and I am beyond proud of the work, both academic and personal, that each of them has done to make it this far. I feel truly blessed to know that both boys are starting on the path to adulthood, and even if they don't need me by their side at all times, I pray that they know that I am right behind them, cheering them on. Truthfully, yesterday was a very hard day for me because it reminded me of the contrast between the two boys' situations. I sent a text to both boys to remind them that we love them, we are proud of them, and we are praying for them. According to my phone, Rayne read his text a little before he went to his first college class. Unfortunately, it appears that Abe has blocked my text ...
Read more

Be Still

Image
  Our pastor referenced this verse in the last sermon of his "Trust the Process" series. Truthfully, it was not the main verse of the message, but for me, it was one more reminder that God sees me. He knows my deepest pains, He knows my deepest desires, He knows my deepest fears, He knows my deepest anxieties, and He knows my deepest needs. When I really focus on this verse, I am reminded that those pains, desires, fears, anxieties, and needs are really not mine to worry about. God tells me to be still because I know that He is God. For a long time, I have said that this is my favorite verse. Now, it not only reminds me that I need to approach life's challenges calmly, but it also reminds me that I am not God. I am NOT the one to be exalted. For most of my life, I have been a very easy-going person who doesn't let much worry me. I used to think of this verse as my kind of "motto" in life, explaining why I didn't worry about things--I was just being still...
Read more