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Week 20 Print E-mail
When can we rest?
Joshua 1:10-18

But you shall cross before your brothers…  The Israelites are preparing to cross the Jordan and fight for their Promised Land.  But several of the tribes don’t have to go into battle at all because their possession is on the east side of the Jordan.   Moses has already given land east of the Jordan to the tribes of Reuben, Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh.  They are probably thinking, “See ya.  Write when you get settled.”  But God won’t allow them to sit around complacent and comfortable while their brothers are still in the fight.  And He isn’t satisfied with them just playing a supporting role either.  Just sending food and supplies, isn’t going to cut it.  God commands them to not only fight for their brothers, but fight at the forefront of battle.  Before they can enjoy their inheritance, they will have to make sure that their brothers have theirs.

We’re in a battle too.  And God doesn’t intend for Christians to be sitting complacent and comfortable on the sidelines while their brothers and sisters in Christ are in the thick of it.  But how do we usually react when we hear about someone in need?  “Just don’t ask me to do anything.”  “You know I’d like to help, but…”  “I’ll pray about it.”  You know good and well that you’re not going to spend two minutes praying for the person, but you’ll say it because it sounds spiritual and you think it gets you off the hook of actually having to do something.

We’re comfortable where we are.  We think we’ve worked hard to get peace and quiet on our side of the Jordan.  We’ve managed to arrange everything in our lives neat and tidy.  You figure, “If I get involved with someone else’s problems now, it will mess everything up.”  We don’t like things to be messy.  We want to enjoy the security and rest that we think we deserve.  But God never guaranteed you that your life would be neat and tidy.  He expects you to get involved in the struggles of others. 

Think of the Good Samaritan.  When he sees the beat up man lying in the ditch, he has a choice to make.  Will he get involved?  Will he risk messing up his business trip to help the poor guy out?  Or will he pass by like the others, and shout, “Hey, buddy, I’ll pray for you”?  No, he gets involved, takes time out of his busy schedule and makes resources available without any thought of reimbursement.  Do you show up for battle when people you know are in need or do you avoid the opportunities God gives you to be a minister of His mercy and love in the lives of others?

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.  Luke 10:27