Skip to main content

All For One...

 So Joshua ordered the officers of the people: “Go through the camp and tell the people, ‘Get your supplies ready. Three days from now you will cross the Jordan here to go in and take possession of the land the LORD your God is giving you for your own.’ ” But to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the half-tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, “Remember the command that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: ‘The LORD your God is giving you rest and has granted you this land.’ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, fully armed, must cross over ahead of your brothers. You are to help your brothers until the LORD gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land that the LORD your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
        Then they answered Joshua, “Whatever you have commanded us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. (Joshua 1:10-16)
 
          You may not have ever read any of the stories of the Three Musketeers, but you probably know their mantra, "All for one, and one for all."
          Martin Luther King, Jr. said "No one is free until we are all free."
          In the Declaration of Independence, it is stated  "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
         There is something powerful about a bond of unity. Two and a half tribes of Israel had been given land on the east side of the Jordan. They had no reason to cross and assist the nine and a half tribes defeat their enemies. They had no reason except their word. They had no reason except for their unity with the rest of Israel. They may have thought that the conquest of the land would be quick. It wasn't, but they stuck it out.
          How's your word? How are you at sticking it out when things take longer than you anticipated? How enduring is your bond to other people? My immediate response to this is that I'm not so good at keeping my word to people, or at sticking it our when things don't go according to my plan. As for my bond to other people, it seems to be like super glue, until it's not. Those perspectives may not be accurate. I'm more sure of how my word is with myself or with God. Assured of God's forgiveness and of my own poor opinion of myself, I'm more than a little lax about keeping my word to either of us. I get testy when things take longer than I anticipated, but that testiness sometimes turns into stubbornness - I mean endurance. It seems to me that the closer one is to someone, the freer one feels to let that person down.
         Tomorrow, I'm crossing the "Jordan." I'm beginning to think that there's some "Promised Land" inside my soul that has to be conquered. I invite you to be my two and a half tribes when God brings me to your mind by praying for me this winter: the standard prayer of wisdom, direction and attitude. As God brings you to mind, I'll pray for yours, too.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more