i spent this morning reading the book of joshua - and i was struck by the goodness of the Lord upon Israel. upon a nation that had sinned, rebelled, done every imaginable evil against the Lord.

and yet He fulfilled His promises.
"Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass." -Joshua 21:45

and yet He gave all that they did not deserve.
"I have given you a land for which you did not labor, and cities which you did not build, and you dwell in them; you eat of the vienyards and olive groves which you did not plant." -Joshua 24:13

and yet He blessed so exceedingly abundantly above all that they could ask or think.
"one man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you." -Joshua 23:10

it amazes me sometimes how similar i am to the nation of Israel. rebellious, sinful, corrupt and sometimes just downright ridiculous (when i think i know better). after all that He did for Israel, after all that He's done for me, what would be an appropriate response?

Listen to Him, walk with Him.
"But take careful heed to do the commandment and that law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul." -Joshua 22:5

Do not rebel.
"Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day..." -Joshua 22:29

Love Him.
"Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God." -Joshua 23:10

Serve Him.
"Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord!." -Joshua 24:14

i never saw these things in such clarity until i began typing them out. and i love the proclamation that joshua makes at the end of this book. such a bold statement of conviction, such an unwavering stand of faith-

"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." -Joshua 24:15

we all have a set of beliefs, whether you admit it or not. we all believe in something, we all value something, we all worship something. be it money or fame or self or relationships or living for the moment. whatever it is, we all worship something. these are the gods of the 21st century. not the gods of the Amorites, but still the gods of our hearts.

following the Lord is not an easy task. it involves denial of self. it involves sacrifice. it involves seeking. it involves time. that's why some dismiss it without checking it out, cos it just takes too much effort/time. it makes me mad when someone puts down the Lord (and believe me that happens with both believers and non-believers), just like how you would feel if x insulted someone you love. but more than that i feel a tugging sadness in my heart cos i know He is hearing the same words i hear. words of unbelief, words of rebellion. in my day-to-day relationships with people, i have mildly experienced what its like to have someone you love walk away from you- and thats exactly how He must feel. just a million times worse. everyday, someone turns away. everyday, someone loses faith. everyday, someone stops praying. everyday, someone stops seeking. everyday, everyday.. take your deepest pain and multiply it 6.721billion times and you get a taste of how He feels everyday.

so i dont know. i guess what im trying to say is- give Him a shot. read a little, pray a little, trust a little. dont be so quick to dismiss blessings in your life as coincidences, or luck. who knows, it could just be God trying to get your attention! and maybe one day, you'll be amazed at what you might find. (: