Joshua 1:15 Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising. :16 And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
As I read across these verses this morning I couldn't help but think about the call to be a gospel witness and a helper of the brethren. Joshua wasn't talking to the entire nation of Israel but rather to the Reubenites, The Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh. They had already received their inheritance. Moses gave them their land on the wilderness side of Jordan. Just because they already received their portion didn't exclude them from the war. Neither did they think that they should be excluded from the fight. There was a whole nation that longed for the day that they to would receive a inheritance. Notice the answer they gave: All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
Verse 16 holds a special place in my heart because it was the verse that God burdened my wife with about moving to Africa for the sake of The Gospel, and would to God that every Christian would answer The Captain of our salvation with these same words, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
These people had their good already, they had land, they had security, they had a place to call home, which was a big deal to people who spent 40 years living in tents. But because their captain commanded it and their brethren needed it. They were willing to leave the good God had given them to live on the battle field, to eat in the camps of soldiers when Momma had hot meals back at home. They risked life and limb for the commandment of their captain and to insure their brethren had an inheritance.
Now consider our own plot, if you are saved then God has blessed you beyond measure. You've received the inheritance won by Christ and no matter whether you help anyone else or not your inheritance is secured, although it would be outside christian character to not help. Let me ask you this. What if God told you He wanted you to do something? What if there were people that needed the same inheritance that you have? What would you do? Would you stay behind and enjoy your inheritance while others go and fight? Would you disobey the command of your captain to go? Or would your answer be "All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go."?
Those questions aren't something that you'll have to worry about when they come. Those are questions that every christian must answer now. Our Captain has commanded us to go, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature was the command given. There are our brothers in humanity and in Christ as well that don't have the peace God has given us or the assurance He has given us or the victory He has given us. Now what will be your decision? Christ commands it, humanity needs it. It is not His will that any should perish but that all should come unto repentance! I'll tell you this, had they stayed behind their blessings would be turned to bitterness every time they heard of what a work God was doing on the other side of Jordan. Dear reader I'm not telling you God wants you to move to a foreign land. I'm also not telling you He doesn't. The point is this, what have you done with His commandment to go? Will you stay in your place of comfort or are you willing for the sake of the commandment and the sake of others to answer like they did:All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.
Here am I Lord send me!!
Onward Christian Soldier!!
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