What Now?

As I watched the course of our nation over the last year, I have often wondered what the Lord desires from me right now. In this moment. In this pandemic. In this social unrest. In this election. In the aftermath of the election. What does the Lord want me to do right now with all that is going on around me?

In my study of the book of Joshua, I recently came across a passage that answered that question for me and encouraged me to be faithful in the coming days. After years of fighting and conquering The Promised Land, we see Israel had finally taken possession of the land in Joshua 21:43-45:

⁴³ And the Lord gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.

⁴⁴ And the Lord gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the Lord delivered all their enemies into their hand.

⁴⁵ There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass.

The LORD gave Israel everything they needed to live a life pleasing to Him in The Promised Land! In fact, I see four things in these three verses that were given to Israel—and are still given to us today—that will help us trust in the Lord and be faithful right now.

PROVISION (vs. 43) – “And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land…”

The LORD provided for them. He had taken care of their every need during their wandering in the wilderness, and now He had provided a blessed land to settle into that would meet their needs. He had also set up systems of worship and sacrifice that would meet their spiritual needs.

The LORD still promises His provision to us today (Matthew 6:25-33). He does not promise everything will be easy or that we will live a life free from troubles and trials, but He does promise to provide sufficient grace for our time of need (2 Cor. 12:8-10). No matter what struggles we may face in the coming days, the LORD will provide.

PEACE (vs. 44) – “And the LORD gave them rest…”

The LORD gave them rest. Peace. They had been fighting with the inhabitants of the land for years, and even though they had not fully driven out those enemies, the LORD gave them rest. He gave them peace even while they lived among those that were considered their enemies.

The LORD has given us His peace. We may feel that we are living among enemies right now, but we can be at peace. John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

PROTECTION (vs. 44) – “…the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.”

The LORD delivered their enemies into their hand. The accounts of the battles they faced conquering The Promised Land tell us that the LORD fought for them. They were under his hand of protection when they were faithful to obey His commandments and His word.

The LORD also offers us his protection. This, of course, does not mean that we won’t suffer persecution. It does mean that we do not need to concern ourselves with the evildoers (Psalm 37). The Lord will take care of us. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives. We do not need to worry about what our enemies are doing because the Lord will take care of that. Jesus tells us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

PROMISES KEPT (vs. 45) – “There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken…all came to pass.”

The LORD kept His promises to Israel. They waited for years. For generations. And now they were seeing the fulfillment of those promises as they finally possessed The Promised Land!

God keeps His promises to us as well. There are so many promises for us in the Word of God. Perhaps the most thrilling is the promise of our future. We know that if we have accepted Christ as our Savior, we have an eternal home waiting for us with Him in Heaven. God’s Word SHALL come to pass. Until then we “…hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD (Lamentations 3:25-26).” We wait for the LORD’s return (2 Thessalonians 3:3-5).

WHAT NOW?

You may be thinking, “Well, that’s wonderful. But what do I do right now?”

Just be faithful.

The truth is there are difficult days ahead. Uncertainty. Confusion. Divisions. Trials. Heartache.

Be faithful to do what you know to do.

In the next chapter, Joshua gives a charge to the Eastern tribes as they return to their land that is just as applicable to us as we move forward in our Christian life.

But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law, which Moses the servant of the Lord charged you, to love the Lord your God, and to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Joshua 22:5

Read it again. Note the verbs (action words) because that is what we can be faithful to do right now.

Take diligent heed to do the commandment.

Love the LORD your God.

Walk in all his ways.

Keep his commandments.

Cleave unto him.

Serve him with all your heart and with all your soul.