Joshua asks the people, “How long will you put off taking the land God has given you?”

What’s going on? People are settling in.

There are times the Bible mentions this tribe or that tribe not driving out the Canaanites in their land.  Weren’t they all supposed to be fighting together? It should be the Israelites fighting and winning, not a single tribe fending for themselves and losing.

Where was Israel, the whole Israel? Why were people settling in and not going into the land that God promised and had led them all this way to take?

We already have tribes on the wrong side of the Jordan. They wanted to settle. They didn’t want to fight and press into the land and take what was promised.

Others, like Manasseh, are focused on themselves, getting what they think they need. They aren’t concerning themselves with the other tribes. They are focused on expanding their part of the kingdom.

The one body is divided. God gave them a common goal and they have lost the vision. Their eyes have started looking at themselves instead of to God and His purposes. The vision fades, concessions are made like taking on slaves, and the promise lays unfulfilled, at least for a time.

If they had the promise, why didn’t they go forward?

Why don’t we? We have such great promises. We can live in the constant abiding Presence because we are in Christ of God’s choice and we are kept by Him. He puts in us His desire and will and the power to carry it out. We just believe and receive.

Just believe and receive. It’s all so very simple. It only feels hard when we’re trying to do it ourselves. We can’t. We aren’t saved by works. We are saved by faith. Striving has to cease. Let Him be your savior. Let Him be your God.