Stop, Drop, and Listen

Click here to read Joshua 3

The spies have made it back, thanks to Rahab, and the next morning Joshua and the people head over to the Jordan River to set up camp for a few days. Something's in the works, there's a plan being put together and people are beginning to get the word: when they see the priests pass by with the Ark of the Covenant, they are to fall in line - at a distance - and follow them, since they've never been there before. In other words, don't run ahead and get yourself lost. Or worse, dead!

Isn't that like human nature? In fact, isn't that like our spiritual nature, to run ahead, to think we know the way to wherever God is leading us, only to discover that we took a wrong turn somewhere? My impatience gets the best of me, at times. "God, you're moving too slow." "I don't want to have to go through this experience in order to get where you want me to be." So, I jump ahead, I skip the line. And I get lost. Or worse.

What happens next should cause us to stop in our spiritual tracks.  Joshua 3:5 says:

Then Joshua told the people, “Purify yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do great wonders among you.”

The people are eager to get moving. They can see the other side, the land they've been headed towards for a long while, but before God is able to do his work, the people must purify themselves. They must seek forgiveness and commit themselves again to God - in preparation for God's work to come. It's as if God is saying, "for me to do what I need to do, you must first get yourselves ready." 

There is no doubt in my mind that I have missed out on a lot of God's work in my life because I was "unprepared" and not in a right relationship with him. As the saying goes, God can't use what he doesn't have. How often have we been left standing with our hands at our side and wonder why God has left us standing by the side of the road? Most often, I believe, is because we've run ahead and got ourselves in a mess and then we're not willing to admit that we blew it, that we failed, that we sinned, that we were selfish, that we were unkind, that we were controlling, that we were.... And God can't use us because he doesn't have us. Jesus' words come to mind:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matt. 16:24-26, NLT)

Another thing that catches my attention is Joshua 3:9. 

So Joshua told the Israelites, "Come and listen to what the LORD your God says. 

"Come and listen." Perplexing words to a person who is always on the move and crowded out by sound and commotion. It reminds me of when I was a kid and my brothers and I would be so excited about going somewhere special, being ready to bolt out the door, and then having our parents to yank us back into the house and sit us down to go over some some sort of ground rules or how they expected us to behave or something. I mean, really, the last thing we wanted to do at the moment was to sit and listen.  

Here are the Israelites, all pretty pumped about what was going to happen. They have been waiting for this moment for a pretty long time. They were about to cross over into the promised land; they were going to see God do another miracle. There was excitement and anticipation all around, but I'm sure there was plenty of worry and hesitation, as well, because they also knew that they were going to have to face a whole lot of uncertainty - there might even be battles that have to be fought. Their minds were all over the place but they were ready to go! But Joshua calls to them and says, "come and listen." Just as my parents had some things for us boys to know before we headed out to wherever, there were some instructions from God that the Israelites needed to hear, and their attention needed to be refocused in order to hear.  

    

I'm not a good listener at times. My mind can get pretty occupies, filled with worry, dwelling on things it shouldn't be. I'm going here and there with my schedule, busy doing "my stuff" or the things of the church or for the conference or with the family or... or... or... But there are times, many times, that I need to "come and listen," to step aside from everything and refocus my attention on God - his presence, his Word, his agenda. I'm too easily distracted, too complacent, too preoccupied, too stubborn, too opinionated. And because of that I often miss God's leading and instruction. 

And I find myself standing on some path that is unfamiliar, alone, unsure of where to turn or what to do... until I stop, drop and listen to God's whisper to my soul.

    

Lord God, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for my lack of attention and my lack of holiness. I'm sorry that, even in my times of silence, I am not silent and listening to you. I want to hear you. I want you to work in my life and ministry. Help me to listen to you and help me to deepen my commitment to you. Thank you for your patience, your forgiveness, and your unending love. Amen.