Monday 8 September 2008

Here we go again!

The summer holidays are over, the new term is in full swing, so here we go again! This session, from September to December we are doing a series at church looking at Joshua. And for Joshua, as he approached the River Jordan, and looked out over the land that God had promised to His people, he may well have had thoughts of 'here we go again'. The people had been here before - 40 years before. 12 spies had spied out the land. Although the report of the land was that it was a good land, 10 of the spies concluded that the people there were too big and strong and there was no way that this land could be theirs. But 2 of the spies (Joshua and Caleb) recognised that it was God who was going to give them the land therefore they need not fear the size of its inhabitants (Numbers 13-14). But the people rebelled against God and therefore they spent the next 40 years wandering in the desert. Moses has died and now Joshua leads the people to the borders of the land. How will the people respond this time? Will they believe that God will indeed go before them? Will they be strong and courageous in the Lord, or will they see the size of their enemies, take their eyes off their God and shake with fear?