Just Gotta Wonder Why

Today I ate lunch in my car and decided to read my Bible and pray too. I asked God where I should start reading, since I needed a new place to start. For some reason He brought the book of Joshua to mind. So I started reading the first chapter.

Joshua 1:1-9 says, 1) Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2) Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3) Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4)  From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast. 5) There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6) Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them. 7) Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8) This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9) 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.

Maybe it's because I am trying to write now myself, but for some reason I found myself reading more slowly and really trying to put myself in Joshua's shoes. I thought about the thoughts and emotions that he would have been feeling. Moses was dead. Joshua's mentor, who he worked very closely with on a daily basis, was gone. he was surely grieving his absence. As with many people who are left behind when a loved one dies, he may have felt very alone, forsaken.

On top of these emotions, his responsibilities changed drastically. While he had already been in a leadership position, his main responsibility had obedience and caring for the needs of a single man. He was a valuable and beloved assistant. Overnight the assistant's role changed into the head leadership position. He now reported directly to God with the responsibility of leading and caring for an entire nation of people, people who had already proven to be the stubborn, rebellious, griping and complaining kind of people. This was surely intimidating in the least and potentially overwhelming.

This is the Joshua to whom God spoke. And the words that God spoke are such encouraging words! Considering how many times God told him to take courage, we know that fear must have been a major struggle for him, understandably so. But God promised him great victory - both as a leader and a warrior. God promised that every place his foot touched would be given to him and therefore the nation of Israel.

As amazing as all of the promises were that God made to Joshua that day, to me the greatest promises were in verse 5. The first part says, "There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life..." Think about it! He was promised unlimited victory for the rest of his life! God had personally promised him that any enemy that he faced would suffer defeat. That is no small thing.

Then comes the icing on the cake. The second half of verse 5 says, "...as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Think about what this means! Moses was the man with whom God spoke face to face, as a friend speaks with his friend. He was the man who penned the beginnings of the Bible. He was the man whose face glowed unbearably to those around him because of his closeness with God. That relationship was what God promised to have with Joshua. And He promised never to leave him, never to forsake him.

The promise of unlimited victory all the days of his life led me to wondering. The first chapter of Judges is practically littered with peoples and towns that the Israelites did not drive out according to God's command. With such promises as the ones God made to Joshua and the constant proof of God keeping His Word, day in, day out, in every single battle. With all of this... why did Joshua's life end without the nation of Israel conquering every bit of the land that God had promised them?

Did he just get so comfortable with all of the victories that had already been won that he didn't press on and push for complete victory? Was he satisfied with all his past accomplishments, content that the land was mostly settled? Did he forget the the promise of victory was good through his death, not just his old age? Did he not consider the cost of only partially fulfilling God's command to settle the land? Because it did cost the nation of Israel dearly. They never achieved the goals God had for them. They never claimed all of the inheritance God gave them. Was it simple laziness?

It made me wonder why.

It also made me stop and think - about myself. What things do I settle for? In how many areas of my life are the past accomplishments enough for me. What promises am I not taking full advantage of? Have I become comfortable, lax, content? Have I let the passion, fervor, and urgency of my teenage years mellow into a contentment that doesn't have me pushing for further victory? Am I playing it safe even when I have been promised victory? In how many areas have I grown lazy?

I look at Joshua and I can't help but wonder, "Why?"

I don't want to end up wondering "Why?" about myself.