The Wading Pool

“How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?”

This question was asked by Joshua of the tribes of Israel as they stood outside the Promised Land at Shiloh.  Apparently, there was some hesitation on their part about going in and taking what God had given them years before.

There were giants in the land, you see.  And there would be fighting.  And possibly pain.  Who knows?  Someone might even get hurt.

Yeah, there was all that. But there was also the promise of a land overflowing with abundance and blessing!  There would be fighting, sure, but there was also the promise, by God, of victory.  Total victory was theirs, if they would only believe and enter in.

Before you get to hard on the Israelites failure to do so, what about us?

Seems the whole Promised Land scenario is a picture of us entering into the full life that Christ has won for us on the cross.  It’s a life a freedom from the just wrath of God, victory over sins and Satan.  It’s a life of “love, joy, peace” and so much more.  It’s been won FOR us already.  So why not enter in?

“But there will be pain,” we say.  There are battles to fight.  “You don’t know how hard it is to quit…”

Yeah, it’s not for the faint of heart.  But it’s there.  So what’s your choice?  Enter in?  Or stay out in the desert wandering.