What’s the Hold Up?

Jan. 24

Read: Joshua 18

What’s the Hold Up?

“How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the LORD, the God of your fathers, has given you?” (v.3)

Have you ever gotten a gift, but kept it wrapped because you didn’t want to open it? Maybe it is because you want to savor the excitement? Maybe it is because you know once it is opened that you won’t have anything else to look forward to? Maybe I am the only person who has ever done this!? Lol. What about a letter that comes in the mail… have you ever not opened that? My guess is that happens when we are afraid of what it says. Maybe it is a bill, or results from a test, or something else like that. This is more driven by fear than excitement. Joshua asks the Israelites a fascinating question: “How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers has given to you?”

The people of God didn’t want to take hold of God’s gift to them. They didn’t want to go and take possession of what they had been given. My hunch is that they were afraid… but also, maybe they didn’t trust that this gift from God was actually good or that he had the power to give it. Maybe it was hard for them because they had been looking forward to having this land for so long and now they stood on the precipice of entering in and they were frozen… paralyzed… locked up. No matter what the root emotion was, the truth remains the same: We must not “put off” taking “possession of” what God has given to us!  There are things that the Lord has entrusted to us… “promised us”… that we “put off taking possession of” because of fear, doubt, laziness, or any other number of reasons.

What are the things that God has promised you? Is there something or someone you are “putting off taking possession of”? If so, why? Is it because you do not believe God’s plan or gift to you is good? Is it because you doubt God’s power to carry you through and actually give it to you? Is it because you don’t want to do the work that God has called you into with him? You can almost hear the desperation in Joshua’s voice when you are reading… “Why have you not gone and taken hold of what has been promised you? What is the hold-up!?”

So what is the hold-up? What is stopping you? As readers, we may think it is silly that the people of Israel are silly not to courageously forge ahead and take the land, but every day we put off and procrastinate on doing things that the Lord has called us to do. Today is the day to stop procrastinating! I don’t know what it is for each and every one of you, but I know that there is something. If you don’t know what it is, just ask the Lord… and he will tell you through The Spirit, His Word, and His People… then go and DO IT. You have nothing to be afraid of. The Lord goes before you as his child. It will be so good… even if it means some hard work. He has your back. Love you guys. - JDP