Renewing a Promise

Have you ever been in a high and holy moment?  Not a contrived time to elicit your emotions, or a time when you are basking in something good that has happened to you.  I am speaking about a time when God's presence is so evident that you can taste, feel, and touch it!

I can think of several of these times.  There was my 1st real experience with God, when I came to the altar as a 7-year-old.  I knew God was there!  There was a time, on a mission trip to Brazil, when we worshipped at the exact center of the South American continent, and looked out on a beautiful vista.  I remember thinking, "Lord, you are truly God above all!"  There have been moments in time when, in that high and holy experience, there is an intense need to reset my relationship with God and with the people God has placed in my life.

In Joshua 8:30-35, we find the Hebrew people in a state of change.  Moses has died, and Joshua has just achieved a great victory over the King of Ai.  But that victory was not the high and holy moment.  After the Hebrews had prevailed, they built an altar and offered a fellowship offering.  This was done as a pause in the fight to take Canaan, the land promised by God.  It was a reset to consider 1) who had brought the victory, 2) how they could continue to be connected to God as the battle continued, and 3) who they were as a people.  It is very interesting how Joshua reinforced these three things.

First, he built an altar, "according to what is written in the Book of the Law."  I love this "first" act, because what we do first conveys what is in our hearts and minds.  They had a massive worship service and made burnt and fellowship offerings, focused on a reset of their relationship with God and one another.  Pretty amazing!

Second, Joshua copied/re-wrote the law of Moses that had been given by God.  And, they had no copy machine!  All of this was in the context of a worship service.

Third, the worship time continued as Joshua "read all the words of the law, the blessings and the curses."  I wonder if he preceded his reading with, "I've got good news and bad news."  This must have taken days!

Finally, Joshua made sure that every human ("the whole assembly of Israel") heard what was read.  Men, women and children ... foreigners living among them ... all the people.

How could Joshua assemble such a group, and make sure everyone was present and listening?  They were all focused on one thing ... following the commands of God.  They owned the mission, owned their part in the mission, owned the leadership God had provided and they believed in the source of all, the God of Israel.

How can we reset?  We can renew our promise and live into God's promises!  Maybe we can place the commands of God as our focus and priority.  Maybe we can own the mission to "take the land God has given" by making disciples of Jesus who worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.  Maybe we can realize that these things happen when we are participants, and not bystanders.  Maybe, we can decide to engage and encourage our leaders, and become the leaders God has called us to be.  Maybe, we can become believers in Christ so much that we actually decide to follow Him!