Be careful to love the Lord your God
As the calendar strikes the final month of 2011, I find myself wrestling through a difficult season of life. I have a million questions, and close to zero answers (give or take). Life is foggy, the road ahead unclear, and I’m drowsy at the wheel. This isn’t the first time, nor will it be the last. Solomon said, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven” (Ecc 3.1-8). This “time” will give way to another “time” at some point, the Bible says, and I’m sure of it. The hardship is in the waiting, the wondering, the questioning in my soul.
This morning God directed my attention to some of the final words of Joshua, the courageous leader of God’s people. In his old age, he calls the nation of Israel and all her leaders, before him. His life’s work is done, and like a father beckoning his eldest son to his side to issue his last words of exhortation, Joshua addresses the people he was leading into the Promised Land. (Read Joshua 23)
He reminds them of all God has done so far in driving out the nations. He encourages them to faithfully follow the Book of the Law. He warns them to not serve other gods.
But the following admonition from Joshua jumps off the page, out of Joshua’s mouth and straight into my twenty-first century ears.
But you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day. For the LORD has driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the LORD your God is He who fights for you, as He promised you. Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the LORD your God. (Josh 23.8-11)
Hold fast is translated as “cleave” in Genesis 2.24 in the King James Version, when it says a man shall “leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife.” The idea is to cling to, follow close after, be joined together, pursue hard.
As tightly as I hold to my wife, and depend on her, I hear God calling me to have an even stronger grip on Him. He is the LORD my God who fights for me, who drives out and delivers. I’ve come this far only by the grace of God, and I’ll only move from this season to the next by the grace of God.
Joshua’s words are pleading with me: Be careful to love the LORD your God! Don’t let your attention be stolen by external circumstances or people, but pay attention to yourself, the inner man. Let God fight for you; (you) simply fight to keep your heart captivated by who He is.
As the questions pile up in my life, I must allow them to drive me back to the one most important question: Am I being careful to love the LORD my God? He’s got the fight covered – I’m simply called to cleave to Him and love Him fully.
Father God, thanks for being a strong tower I can run to, a comforter I can cleave to. Thanks for being a warrior who fights for me, who drives out and delivers. I trust You. The battle belongs to You. My heart belongs to You. Help me to be careful to love you, in spite of what’s going on around me. I love You and trust You, Jesus. Amen.