After forty years of wandering in the desert, when it came time to go into the Promised Land, I can’t help but wonder if there were times when Joshua might have wished that God could have brought a terrible plague on the inhabitants of the land and in an act of divine wrath, blotted them out.

God could have done that, but he didn’t.

God gave the Israelites the land, but they had to fight ugly, bloody battles for every inch of it.

A pattern here for us to remember

We have a plaque in our home that says, “Faith makes all things possible, but not easy.” That is a sentiment Joshua would have understood.

On our own, we cannot conquer anything. For the children of Israel there were giants in the land; the cities were strong and fortified; there were armies that would not give up without a fight. In our lives we may have destructive habits, challenging relationships, and difficult life circumstances—situations that seem impossible to conquer.

We desperately need God’s help. At the same time, he expects us to participate in the fight.Continue Reading