Joshua 13

Joshua 13
The Practical Works of the Lord

“Now Joshua was old, going on in days. And Jehovah said to him, You are old, far along in days, and there remains yet very much land to be possessed” (Joshua 13:1).

I love the Lord. Here is Joshua…and he is old. The Lord comes down to tell him he is old. Why would the Lord do this?

1) The Lord was telling Joshua that the adventurous, battle filled life was coming to a close. He had proved to be Israel’s greatest warrior. He came in and he conquered, but most of all, he followed God. I love how practical the Lord is. Joshua is getting old, therefore the work is done. God will use you in amazing ways, and most of them are practical! I have never led worship. There is a very practical reason for this (Psalm 33:3). I have never worked in arts and crafts at VBS. There is a very practical reason for this. However the Lord has used me to teach and the Lord has used me to disciple. He has used my skills in sports. Our God is practical and He wants to use the gifts He has given you.

There is a neat story. A man is on an island and he cannot get off. Naturally, he falls down on his knees and prays and begs God to save him. Minutes later a boat shows up. The captain asks the man if he needs help and the man replies, “No. I am waiting for the Lord to save me.” The man once again falls down on his knees and prays and this time a helicopter shows up. Once again, an opportunity is there to be saved and the man denies it because he is “waiting for the Lord to save him.” I believe the moral of the story is obvious enough.

Do not always be looking for the crazy miracle or amazing act of the Lord. He wants to use you practically. Do not despise the gifts He has given others. He wants to use you and your gifts. Instead realize that we are one body, each performing our own special function for the Lord.

2) For Joshua it was time for a new ministry to start. This ministry would be administrative. Sometimes the Lord uses the practical things of the world to lead us in an entirely new direction. This could come in different ways. The Lord closed off a semester at Bible College for me by not providing for me the funds to go. In that time I assisted Tommy with the Jr. High. I would not trade that education and experience for the world. Joshua, you are old (Try 110). No more battles. Now its time to do paper work and to make sure each of these people get appointed their land.

Pray to the Lord today. He wants to use you practically. Consider your gifts, whether music, sports, teaching, following, speaking, knowledge, etc. Allow the Lord to practically use you today.