Time Is Long; Or Short

“Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.” (Jos 11:18 AV)

Although time is a constant, the perception of it is not.  A second is a second.  A minute is sixty seconds.  However, the events that transpire in that second or minute skew our perception of the length of that second or minute.  If we are told we can lick on an ice cream cone for exactly a minute, that minute goes by rather quickly.  However, if we are waiting for the Novocain to kick in while the doctor works on a cavity, that minute seems like an eternity.  The ‘long time’ above was about six or seven years.  In retrospect, seven years is not that long of a time.  However, while fighting what seems like a never-ending battle, seven years can seem like an eternity.  Something to also remember is Joshua’s age.  He is no spring chicken here.  He is between 69 and 79 years of age.  When he undertakes the leadership of a nation as they fight their enemies for their divinely appointed inheritance, Joshua is past his prime.  This causes time to become even more distorted.  The older we get, the more it appears time has raced by.  But the older we get, the longer it takes to do things that we did rather easily in our youth.  We have to plan more time to do the things we used to do in a hurry.

Regardless of our perception of time, there is one constant. Time is limited; at least in this lifetime.  Our lives are limited.  Our opportunities are limited.  Our experiences are limited.  Our trials are limited.  There is a beginning and an end.  The Bible calls this our expected end.  Or, that which the LORD has determined to be the goal of whatever we happen to be in the midst of.  This necessarily suggests there is a beginning and an end.  If there is a beginning and an end, then the time between is certain.  What we see above is Joshua’s perspective; or the human writer’s perspective; of the seven years of battle as it applies to a 75-year-old.  To the writer, it was a long time for Joshua.  Being a long time, the takeaway is, that perception does not determine commitment.  In other words, to the writer and perhaps to Joshua, seven years seemed like a long time.  Just because it seemed like a long time did not give Joshua an exit ramp.  Endurance is the point here.  When we start a difficult task our trial, knowing it will last years or decades and not days or weeks, it seems like a very long time.  This may be so. But it is our race.  It is the one that is set before us.

Life is a marathon.  Not a sprint.  One of my childhood regrets was that when it came to sports, I didn’t stick with it.  I tried track, basketball, and baseball.  In each instance, when the practice became dull and it seemed like I maxed out on my abilities, I called it an experience and went on to something else.  Track, especially, was one that I regret.  I was a sprinter.  Yet the coach had us constantly running miles instead of sprints or relays.  I didn’t understand his methods.  It seemed as though all this accomplished was to slow my sprint speed down.  I didn’t see the point.  Regardless of the reasons for it or if it would have eventually paid off, I would have learned to endure life a bit better if I had learned it at such a young age.  Joshua lived two-thirds of his life before God put him in the place of leadership.  Two-thirds.  When the LORD finally did and gave him the battles with the kings, time slowed down immensely.  Where did those seventy years go to?  Time flew by.  Now, at his age and with the responsibility laid before him, time seemed to come to a standstill.  Joshua faithfully discharged his duties even though perception was a discouragement.  This faithfulness is sorely lacking in our churches today.  Either we are in a hurry to get where we think God wants us, or we are too tired once we get there.  Commitment is not determined by our feelings or perceptions.  It is determined by the command of God!

Total Destruction Is The Only Option

“And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day.” (Jos 7:24-26 AV)

At first glance, we may feel this is a bit harsh.  Achan and his entire family were stoned to death and all that he had along with his dead family were burned with fire.  A few observations here.  We don’t know how old his children were.  They could have been grown adults.  Second, thirty-six men died in the battle for Ai because of Achan’s sin.  One wonders if the total number of Achan’s household was not the same.  Thirdly, and most importantly, God takes His law very seriously.  There was a time to enjoy the spoils of war and there was a time when the spoils of war were to be destroyed.  One of the agreements God made with Israel was all precious metals were to go for the construction and maintenance of the Tabernacle.  When Achan kept back the gold and silver, he kept back the price of the Tabernacle.  He stole from God.  Note also Achan fought the battle of Jericho from which he stole the accursed thing.  Yet, when it came to Ai, he was absent from the battle.  His lust, and the consequent hiding of his sin, cooled his zeal for the battles of God. 

I have a name for my old nature.  I call him Mr. Hyde.  For those unfamiliar, a classic horror story written in the latter half of the 19^th century was Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It was the story of a doctor who devised a formula that turned him into a murderous monster.  When he was Dr. Jekyll, he was a kind and compassionate servant of the masses.  But at night, when he would occasionally turn into Mr. Hyde, he ran amuck and created many victims.  The townspeople struggle to see the connection between the two.  Whatever your view of sanctification is, it cannot be debated that our nature to sin is still part of our nature even though we have the Holy Spirit as our permanent resident and partner in striving after holiness.  There is a battle between the desire to sin and the desire not to.  Paul perfectly describes this in Romans chapter seven.  Mr. Hyde is still there.  He should grow weaker and weaker.  We are crucified with Christ.  Crucifixion is the process of dying.  It is supposed to end in death.  That is the point of being crucified with Christ.  Mr. Hyde needs to die.

Achan and his family cursed the rest of the nation. As long as they held on to their lust, and the fruits gained by it, God refused to bless the nation.  Total destruction was the only answer.  There can be no future to this lust.  That is why the children were also destroyed.  If Achan was the only causality, the children and spouse would have learned to hide their sin better.  The destruction of Achan is a picture of how we should deal with our old sinful nature.  No refuge!  No quarters.  No way for it to rear its ugly head ever again.  Reaping the consequences of sin is not fun.  It doesn’t matter what we have done or failed to do.  The consequences must be harsher than the pleasure we receive from our sin.  That is the only way we will learn.  Achan must die.  He and all of his.  If the children survive, there is an inheritance.  By destroying Achan and all of his, there was no inheritance for them.  There was no place for them.  They were erased from the future plans of the nation.  The same must be true of our nature to sin.  It must find no quarters.  It must not be given sanctuary.  It must be eliminated.  There is to be no compassion, understanding, or place given to it.  No excuses.  No explanation that merits grace.  No soft spot as a victim of Adam’s sin.  No sir!  Achan, Mr. Hyde, or whatever you want to call our nature to sin must be erased from all existence.  He (or she) must go!

The Calvary Never Left

“And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord unto his servant?” (Jos 5:14 AV)

Jesus interreacts with His sheep in many ways.  He is the Shepard of our soul, the Prince of Peace, and our Intercessor.  Jesus is our Friend, our Brother, and our Joint Heir.  He is our Savior and Redeemer.  Jesus is our LORD and Master.  He is the Only Wise Potentate.  He is many things and He loves us in many ways.  One of those ways is as the Captian of the LORD’s Host!  The LORD’s host are the angels and all those who faithfully serve Him.  As Captian of the LORD’s Host, Jesus is in control of all that is accomplished.  Joshua meets Jesus as he is preparing for battle.  The question arises of the LORD’s loyalty not knowing who He is or what He is capable of.  Very brave of Joshua.  The above verse is the LORD’s response.  Jesus comes as the Captain of the LORD’s host.  The battle Joshua is about to fight will go forward with the Captian of the LORD’s host in control.  What is encouraging to me is the fact of the position and that Jesus Christ holds it.  We never truly understand who or what has our back.  The Captain of the LORD’s Host has our back.

This reminds me of Elisha who knows just how much God will fight for Israel when his student did not know.  As Syria camped against Israel, the king of Israel sent for Elisha to intercede for the nation.  Elisha, as confident as the man of God can be, assured the king that God would rescue them.  The young man who was with Elisha doubted.  They were vastly outnumbered and in a vulnerable place.  Elisha asked the LORD to open the eyes of the young man.  When the LORD did, on the mountain all around, he saw angels in chariots of fire.  It was so vast it looked like the mountains were on fire.  Elisha knew just how much God had them in His hand.  He knows just how big God is and the assistance He provides every day.  The battle is always the LORD’s.  Elisha knew this.  Those without the eyes of faith did not.  When the Captain of the LORD’s host shows up, we cannot lose.

This is the assurance Joshua must accept.  He must yield to the truth that no matter how hard he fights, the battle is still the LORD’s.  The battle is still in the hands of the Captain of the LORD’s Host.  He has always been there.  He was always in Israel’s corner.  Joshua simply could not see it until He revealed Himself to him.  The Captain of the LORD’s Host is always there.  He is always willing to wield the sword if we simply learn to get out of the way.  We place too much pressure on ourselves to accomplish what the LORD wills or endure through the hard times of life.  It goes squarely on our shoulders as though we alone must bear it.  Not so.  The Captain is waiting for us to hand to Him the battle plan.  He is waiting for us to yield our strength to His.  He is waiting for us to get out of the way so He can do for us what we desperately need done.  Joshua did the smart thing.  He bent the knee to the One who holds it all in His hand.  He worshipped and yielded.  He gave the battle over to the undefeated champion of our souls!  It is time for us to do the same.

Commanded Not To Feel

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Jos 1:9 AV)

Did you notice the word ‘command’?  We think we have the right to feel what we feel.  We think we have the right to feel fear, anxiety, or a host of other emotions.  We think we are subject to them like the air around us.  Yet, this is not the LORD’s attitude toward our emotions.  One could argue strength and courage are things that we do.  Or, things we are despite how we feel.  Fear and being dismayed are pure emotions.  One could argue God commands us to act in faith despite our emotions rather than conquer them beforehand or in the process of living in faith.  However, the text does not support this.  It seems the LORD has commanded Joshua to cease fear and dismay.  He has told Joshua to stop feeling that way.  I cannot help but notice this theme has been constant over the last few days.

Some might argue emotions are from the LORD for a designed purpose.  True.  For example, we live in a not-so-safe neighborhood.  There have been a couple of murders over the last five years.  There have been a couple of SWAT raids as well.  There was a mugging not too long ago.  We’ve had multiple traffic stops with guns drawn.  There is now drug activity and prostitution around our neighborhood. It is wise to be concerned.  It is wise to fear.  This motivates me to secure my home as best I can.  I lock all windows and doors at night.  I have multiple locks at all our entry points.  Others are barricaded so on the outside chance our outer walls are breached, it would be difficult to go further.  Lastly, my bedroom is bolted with a deadbolt when we retire for the night.  This is wise and prudent.  Fear motivated me to make our home as secure as it possibly could be.  There is nothing wrong with this.  In fact, the book of Proverbs talks about the simple-minded who see trouble ahead and take no precaution against it.  They are called fools.  Once we have done all we can do, it is time to stop feeling the way we do.  We do not have liberty.  To do so is to cut God short of what He can and may do.

It is natural to feel the way we do.  But let us remember we feel the way we do because we are fallen creatures.  We are not like the animal kingdom which feels as they do for good reason.  Their emotional response is instinctive.  It is God’s given ability for them to survive and populate.  They are overly cautious when they feel threatened.  They can tell when something is not quite right.  But they also know when things are just fine.  How do I know?  Because deer can tell when it is hunting season and when it is not.  While visiting a wilderness place from my childhood, a deer came out of the woods and stood on a dirt road not 75 yards from me.  Upwind!  It did not spook.  It actually stood there out in the open for as long as we were there taking pictures.  If it was deer season, that deer would have bolted across the road into another wood lot with its tail waving in the air.  They react emotionally because there is reason to.  We, however, are cursed with reason and intelligence.  These have replaced instinct.  This allows us to take reasonable risks.  But it also curses us with overthinking and minimizes what God can do if we trust in Him. We are not entitled to feel emotions that limit what God can do.  We are commanded to surrender them.  And that is what we must do.

There Is A Reason

“For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land, whither ye go over Jordan to possess it.” (De 32:47 AV)

The thing to which the LORD is referring is the experiences Israel is having while wandering in the wilderness.  The hardships of their pilgrimage are actually their saving grace.  We have to remember they have come from a situation of bondage where their captors took care of their basic needs.  Egypt supplied food, shelter, and protection from enemies.  In turn, Israel supplied hard labor to build their cities and pyramids.  Sort of like where our nation is quickly headed.  Once the populace is controlled by the benefits of the government, the government will collect their due!  But I digress.  Israel is now free.  They had not been free for over four hundred years.  This was new to them.  They had to learn how to become a strong nation.  This can only be learned through hardships and trials.  Through crisis, they were made stronger.  They had to learn hard things because their future required them to do hard things.  Therefore, what seemed to be pointless was not.  The future would tell the story of why the LORD had them suffer in the present.  It was for their own good and purpose in life

This reminds me of the movie Karate Kid.  Remember that one?  The movie was about a young man who wanted to learn the martial arts.  He could not afford to go to a school, and the school he wished to attend wouldn’t accept him.  So, he lived with an older oriental man who was a grand master in the martial arts.  In exchange for serving as his house boy, the master promised to teach the young student the art of Karate.  Mixed into the storyline was a constant theme of, what seemed to be, pointless chores required of the young man.  One of those chores was to daily wash and wax the master’s car.  How often does one need their car washed, anyway?  Not daily.  There were other chores this young man performed as well.  But it was this car-washing chore that most moviegoers remember to this day. Why?  Because this young man had finally had enough.  He was not learning any karate and it seemed as though all he was doing was chores.  He finally snapped.  He vented his frustration at the master and complained that he was being used.  All he did was chores and he hadn’t had one karate lesson.  The master took the young man into his studio and commanded he block the thrusts of the old man’s hands.  This he did instinctively.  Then the old man said, “Wax on, Wax off”.  What the young man did not realize is that through the hardships of labor, he was actually building muscle memory which would translate into his stated goal of learning the martial arts.

It is hard to endure tough times when we cannot see the purpose behind it.  This is the time to give the LORD the benefit of the doubt.  He has a plan. He knows where He wants us to go and what it will take for us to get there.  He knows the experiences we need.  He knows the training we must strive to complete.  There is a plan.  There is a purpose.  There is nothing we will go through which is not part of God’s strategy.  There is no fate.  There is no change.  There are no random events of life that happen in and of their own design.  It is all part of what God desires from the life He created and granted to us by the wonders of His grace.  Most of the time, we cannot see the purpose.  Sometimes we can.  Most of the time, we do not.  Faith is necessary to navigate through times of life that are unbearable.  God does not owe us an answer.  He does not owe us an explanation.  He almost always gives one, but we are not entitled to it.  Simple trust and obedience are all that is required.  Doing so with gratitude knowing it will someday make sense is the way to please the LORD.  It is not in vain.  It does have a purpose.  Yielding to the circumstances of our divine appointment and seeking ways to use it for the glory of God is the best way to transverse our time on this planet.  Otherwise, we will be full of questions that may not have answers and misery over lack of comfort.  It is not in vain.

Not The Better of Two Options. The Perfect Option.

“I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever: I will trust in the covert of thy wings. Selah.” (Ps 61:4 AV)

We quote the second part of the verse without really understanding what David is saying here.  There is more than meets the eye.  The covert of the wings is a specific thing.  The word means covering.  How wings cover is the point here.  The Tabernacle is a fully enclosed dwelling.  No threat can be perceived or welcomed.  A covering made of wings, not so much.  Most hens will partially cover their chicks.  Simply put, her wings cannot form a bowl for the chicks to hide in.  Therefore, even though they are safe, the threat can still be perceived.  So, there is a dynamic of conflict here.  The chicks must choose to trust in the cover of their mother's wings while still able to perceive that which threatens them.  Both safety and danger are in view.  It all depends upon which the chick succumbs to.  He is either going to completely trust in what his mother or father can provide, or he will cower in fear never truly feeling safe.

There is a difference between trusting and taking the better of two options.  Imagine you are hunting in a vast wilderness and a storm arises in the west.  You can see the snow coming down like a great blanket from the sky.  You know if you try to get back to your truck over ten miles away, you are not going to make it.  In the distance, heading toward the storm, you see the mouth of a cave.  You don’t know what is in that cave.  It could be a bear’s den.  There could be disease-carrying bats inside.  It could be damp with nowhere to stay dry.  There may not be a way to vent smoke if you were to build a fire.  While anyone find you in such a remote place if feet of snow covered your tracks leading to the cave?  There are a hundred other risks that go through your mind but as much as the cave would be a risk, the approaching storm is the much worse choice. So, toward the cave, you go.  This is choosing the better of two options.  This is not trusting in the cave.  This is resigning to the cave.  This is not trusting in the sense there is nothing to worry about.  This is resigning to the better of two options as though there is less to worry about in the cave than there is if you tried to get back to your truck.

When David says he will trust in the covert of God’s wings, he is not saying he will trust in God’s protection from threat as a better choice than the threat itself.  He is not saying that if another better option presented itself than the covert of God’s wings, he would take that other choice.  Implied in the word trust is David’s decision to live in the protection of God’s shadow without regard to any risk that may be involved.  There is complete and total trust here.  Comparing the cover of God’s wings to an enclosed tabernacle is the key.  An enclosed space where no threat could permeate is not just the better option.  It is the best option.  There is no worry or fear over that which cannot be seen.  The tabernacle hides the saint from perceiving any and all threats.  The cover of God’s wings should be felt in the same way, even though the threat can still be seen.  This is a hard place in which to be.  One, by nature, is alarmed at what can be perceived even though reason and faith say something different.  To get to the place where we trust the LORD even though danger is still evident is almost impossible. But still attainable.  This we must do!

Rejoice In Every Good Thing

“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is among you.” (De 26:11 AV)

There is so much packed into this little verse.  There is an assumption made that God does and will give good things.  This need not be proven.  This is an absolute that we assume to be true.  Second, the good thing which the LORD gives, He gives to the house and the stranger as well.  The good thing given to us is also enjoyed by those with whom we have to do.  The word ‘every’ preceding the good thing suggests there is far more than one good thing.  It is the word ‘rejoice’ that caught my eye this morning.  It seems as though we are doing less and less of this these days.  The world tries to convince us we should be worried, anxious, and miserable.  It then attempts to provide the answer through mankind’s efforts to make life better.  Whether it is an empty promise of a leader, a new drug, or some new possession, the world tears us down and then tries to build us back up in its image.  We are far more blessed than we realize.  It would behoove us to take stock of just how many good things God has given and instead of complaining about that which we do not have, rather, rejoice in how good God has been to us.

Sometimes, it is the simplest of things that remind us of how good God is and has been, to us.  Growing up, my father bought an abandoned potato farm and turned it into a camping wilderness.  He planted hundreds, if not a thousand, pine trees on his little plot of land. He had a half-acre pond dug and stocked it with pan fish.  Eventually, there would be a cabin built there.  It has been more than thirty-five years since I have been there, and before he died, my Dad sold it off.  I have lived in five different counties and four different states.  The last time I went back to my home state was six years ago.  We went back a few weeks ago and my father-in-law took us to an amazing place for breakfast.  This place is only open for two months while the maple tree sap is running.  Their promotion is buckwheat pancakes and homemade syrup.  I am not a big fan of pancakes, but these were amazing.  This place was only five miles from my father’s tree farm.  So, my gracious father-in-law took us there.  I had mixed feelings about going there and was too afraid being there would stir some memories I fought hard to suppress.  However, I was pleasantly surprised at how I felt.  Of all the memories I had of that place, there is one that stuck out in my mind.  It was the one thing about that place that brought me back to fond memories.  Believe it or not, it was the wind.  The wind, as it traveled through those high scotch pines, made a unique sound.  It is hard to explain because there is no other sound like it.  That sound and smell of the pines is what calmed a young man’s heart.  That sound was comforting and relaxing.  Many nights I would fall asleep with the wind whipping through those pines.  It reminded me of how good life can be.  And we owe it all to the LORD.

Life will always have deep waters.  Until eternity, mankind is foolish to think he can have a life free of all ills.  Because we introduced sin into God’s creation, we have to suffer trouble while in the flesh.  There is no escape from it.  This doesn’t mean the saint must live without joy.  The balance is remembering just how good God is, has been, and will be.  I will eternally thank the LORD for the sound of the whispering winds.  I will praise Him for the calming sound of His breath chasing through the mighty trees.  They swayed.  They moved.  The wind was indiscernible outside of the swaying trees and the whispering noise of the wind.  It was like God was speaking in a still small voice that all is well and even if we cannot feel the wind on our faces, He was still involved in our lives.  What a reminder of the ever-present God we love.  We may not always discern His hand, but have no doubt, that He is always active.  I am never alone.  God is always working.  Let us rejoice in the goodness of our LORD!