Nobody told me this would be easy. Good morning, today we read Joshua 12-14.
Most days when I read our group of verses, I have to pray and decide: Do I write about the obvious thing, which most of you all have heard about a hundred times, or what stood out to me that wasn’t as commonly discussed?
There are days which have so much content it is almost impossible to settle on a coherent theme.
Keep looking ahead
Today, it was more challenging. There was a lot of history. They recalled the many kings and kingdoms they had conquered. We’ve already spoken of the importance of remembering. When I think of a sermon I heard last week, we sometimes spend too much time looking back.
I realized the text mentioned the plains of Sodom and that God turned Lot’s wife into a pillar of salt for looking back. I felt compelled to look for something more profound.
I came upon three points to make today. The middle of the gorge, or river, depending on your translation (verse 12:2), boundaries, which are mentioned throughout, and giants which they speak of in 12:4.
The middle of the river
One of our favorite old television programs was called The Middle. It was about an average, middle class family, living in the middle of the country, just a study of being average. Being average doesn’t mean being ordinary. Each of us possesses a distinct and exceptional quality.
Here we are dealing with an edge of a kingdom which was the middle of the river. How can you defend land you can’t even stand on?
Today, we observe extreme left and extreme right individuals in politics. A position like that is defensible because it is far from the middle.
Our country was ruled by people who were in the middle, most of my life. The river described in these verses would have soaked them to the bone. Because they stood for nothing.
They say it is easy to fall for anything when you stand for nothing. I have witnessed this. We would call them flip-floppers. They would stand for whatever group will pay the most to support their next campaign.
These people grew wealthy by approving funds for groups which would support them. I applaud our government’s attempts to curtail this waste. There will be some wonderful programs which will suffer collateral damage. Time will provide the opportunity for reassessment, and the deserving ones will receive the backing.
I can appreciate a viewpoint which is contrary to my own. You have the right to your own analysis and can create or find a public forum to share your views.
It is important that each individual can have their say and feel validated. This was the overarching idea behind our constitutional form of governance. Get people representing all sides to debate and come to a compromise or agreement.
Somehow, we developed the idea that anyone who doesn’t support us is against us. If we don’t agree with you, we must hate you. This is far from the truth.
I remember having some knock down, drag out, crashing through the walls, fights with my brother when we were younger. But, I never for a minute did not love him, and know he always felt the same for me.
People often find truth in the middle of the ring.
Boundaries
To remain civil, however, we must set boundaries. We can attack a viewpoint, question an ideal. It is never acceptable to attack the person.
Hate the sin, but love the sinner. Because you are louder, doesn’t make you correct.
The Bible should always be the defining line. If your actions agree with the will of God, whose blessing we covet, I can debate with you in good faith.
When you represent a distortion of the truth, which is also called a lie, you are defending the enemy and there is no middle ground. That is a boundary we must not pass.
I have been trying to build a broader social media presence and am appalled at the things I am encountering. Scammers, con artists, identity thieves, and women of all sorts, who want me to go into a private meeting app. I refuse.
To me, this would be the same as going into a house with a woman alone. Though nothing would happen, the appearance of impropriety alone would prohibit me from doing such a thing. That is how I feel about those apps.
In all areas of life, for ourselves and our loved ones, we must set clear and immovable boundaries. Established boundaries are easier to defend.
Facing giants
Defending them may mean facing giants.
Perhaps there are no ten-foot tall tribes of Anakim roaming the lands. Still, we all face giants throughout our lives.
These can be individuals who have authority over you and seek to make your life difficult. They can be financial burdens that come out of nowhere to sidetrack every plan you had made. Health issues and property damage, the list is long.
We perceive giants as situations where the odds are stacked against us.
Like David facing Goliath, we need wisdom to not face them alone. We shouldn’t fear and allow ourselves to be decommissioned, similar to the ten spies who wouldn’t enter the promised land.
Like Joshua and Caleb, we can go with courage.
We must go with God. Trusting Him to guide our rock. Faithfully serving Him.
Jesus has already won our victory. Now it is our turn to be strong and courageous.
