April 22, 2013
So I gave you a land on which you did not toil and cities you did not build; and you live in them and eat from vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant.' (Joshua 24:13)
If we look at all of the verbs in the Joshua 24:2-13 passage we see a contrast between what God did for the children of Abraham versus what they did for themselves. As always, what God does in keeping up His end of the covenant is far greater than what His covenant people do. Joshua relays the Lord's message:
"I took Abraham from the land beyond the river… I led him… I gave him… I sent Moses and Aaron… I afflicted the Egyptians… I brought you out… you saw what I did… I delivered you… I sent the hornet ahead of you, which drove them out before you… YOU DID NOT DO IT!
This reads like many of our testimonies. God took you out of the mess that you were in. He led you, gave to you, delivered you - you didn't do it on your own. Yet, don't we often think of what we do/did more than we think of what God has done?
"I worked hard… I prayed a lot… I gave so much… I said the right words…"
One of the greatest causes my pride is thinking about "what I can do." One of the greatest causes of my worry is thinking about "what I can't do." But, the greatest cause for my faith is looking back over my life and the lives of others and seeing WHAT GOD HAS ALREADY DONE.
Lord, help me to remember moment-by-moment today all that You have done and all that You are in my life and the life of my family that I might always give You glory and rest in Your unrelenting faithfulness.
For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? (1 Corinthians 4:7)
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. (Lamentations 3:21-24)
No comments:
Post a Comment