Joshua 24 – His Story Christians like to say “History is HIS story” and this true principle is clearly displayed in Joshua 24. Here God gives a long speech which quickly summarizes Israel’s history from Abraham to the present time when they are standing in front of Joshua listening to his final instructions. Whenever we hear history being summarized from God’s point of view, one word appears a lot: “I”. As far as God is concerned, human history is something He directs. “I, the LORD, took your ancestor Abraham from the other side of the river and led him through Canaan…I gave him many children…I gave Isaac two sons…Then I sent Moses and Aaron to Egypt…I brought many disasters on the Egyptians…Afterwards I brought you out…When I brought your ancestors out of Egypt…I brought darkness between you and the Egyptians…you saw what I did to the army of Egypt…Then I brought you to the land of the Amorites…I handed them over to you…I destroyed them before you…I refused to listen to Balaam…I saved you…I handed [your enemies] over to you…I sent terror ahead of you to force out two Amorite kings…I gave you that land where you did not have to work…I gave you cities you did not have to build...” (v2-13) In this world, people love being applauded. Americans fight over copyrights and media coverage, hyperventilating anytime someone else takes credit that they think they deserve. We get teary eyed and choked up when someone hands us some gold colored bit of plastic glued onto a piece of wood, ecstatic that a fallen world considers us worthy of a trophy. We showcase our accomplishments and post lists of our publications, all too pleased to receive fan mail and praise from our admirers. But according to God, He is the only One who is worthy of praise. While we’re taking the bows for some clever solution, He finds it obnoxious that we refuse to acknowledge Who gave us the idea in the first place. When our ministry efforts bless thousands of people, He is waiting for us to give Him the public acclaim He deserves, yet so often all He gets is a quick side comment while we soak up the spotlight. Is this the way it is supposed to be? Not hardly. There isn’t a nation on this planet whose history hasn’t been guided and directed by God. He is present in every war, He determines the outcome of every election, and He controls the rising and falling of world powers. The Bible is a clear testimony of God’s intimate involvement in every aspect of His creation. In times of abundance, we have only Him to thank. In times of trouble, only He can save us. There is no room for human beings to take the bows in God’s universe. As Christians, we must become sensitive to our use of the “I” word. When others start to praise us, we should immediately direct their attention to God. “He” should be the main noun we use when describing our ministry efforts or successes or spiritual insights. “He showed me this great thing in the Bible yesterday. He is really changing lives through this ministry He started. He caused all these people to show up last night to hear what He had to say—isn’t He awesome?” When we give credit where it’s due, it’s like music to God’s ears. Our King has a massive ego and never tires of hearing us comment on His magnificence. One of the frustrating things about relating to God is feeling like there’s no way we can properly thank Him after all He’s done for us. We’re just too weak and frail, depending on Him for everything. It’s like trying to buy your father a present with money that he gave you—somehow it seems to be lacking. Yet God has not left us without any options. He tells us that the adoration of our souls is the most precious thing we can give to Him. The more we adore, praise and delight in Him, the more blessed He becomes. This is glorious news, for it means we all have an equal chance to bless God’s heart no matter what our earthly situation is. Rich or poor, young or old, shy or bold, we can all shower God with kisses as we whisper how much He means to us in the privacy of our own hearts.
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 18:02:58 +0000
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