Scripture: Joshua 18-22

Seven years of fighting for their land is initially over. Each tribe must root out the enemy and take possession of their inheritance. Everything they have accomplished means nothing unless they learn how to live in their land.

This is also true of the believer. The Christian life should not be a series of emotional ups and downs. It should be a steady climb, onward, upward, toward the goal, into the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course, there will be times of crises. We must meet those times in the power of the Holy Spirit, and daily conquer the enemy of our souls. There are Jordans to be crossed, walled cities to be conquered, a wilderness to be exchanged for the land of victory. The person who is born of God will be eternally saved but often we will be tempted to move out of the place of victory into the wilderness of defeat. Then there will be emotional periods of change. In the process, a believer must avoid three perils while living in the land of blessing.

The Peril of Inertia

First, there is the peril of Inertia. 18:1-3. The word means lethargy, passivity, or inactivity. "How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the Land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?" The King James Version said, "How long will you be slack? They were sluggish, unconcerned, indolent, and had become complacent about their responsibility. In reality they were satisfied with past blessing and did not want to go on any further. So they didn't do anything.

Joshua lit a fire under them to get them moving. Now and then, the Lord must do the same with us. To sit in the past when we can move on to greater things in inexcusable. Joshua didn't let them get away with it. There is no place where inertia can be more evident than in a local church and in our personal lives. Resistance to change for the better will make us complacent, and will kill the chance for any appreciable growth. Inability to change will cause the church to eventually die for lack of stimulation. I sometimes feel that much of the delay to get things done in the work of the church is due to inertia or complacency. It is then, that a greater than Joshua says to us, How long will you be slack to go in and possess what is yours in Christ Jesus.

How easily we rest in past achievement? This is a great tragedy because we not only rob ourselves of blessing but we hinder the growth of other believers. There is nothing Satan loves more than getting Christians to sit on their laurels and fight change that will bring glory to God. No Christian will ever win the race by going on furlough from walking with God. Just when we have the victory within our grasp, we fail to press in for the blessing. If we do this we will cause ourselves to be overcome by inertia.

Christian, how long has it been since you came to church expecting a blessing? You came to do your job, teach your Sunday school class and to do your part. God blesses you for your service rendered to the Lord. Beware however, of surrendering to spiritual inertia. Don't quit expecting blessing from the Lord. He has done great things in past generations; he can do great things today. "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God." This should be our theme. Come to worship, expecting God to instruct you. When you are instructed act on it and put what you learn into practice. If you don't, then you are just going through the motions and you will not grow in the Lord, as you ought.

The Peril of Incompatibility

Second, there is the peril of incompatibility. 22:21-25. Reuben, Gad, and the half tribe of Manasseh had staked their claim east of the Jordan River. After they had helped their brethren subdue the land; Joshua sent them on their way, in blessing, to take possession of their inheritance.

On their way they built an altar of testimony to the Lord for future generations. A rumor was being circulated that Reuben, Gad and Manasseh had built an altar of worship other than in Shiloh. This was misunderstood by the other tribes as an act of rebellion. The other tribes prepared to take action against them.

Before this happened they sent a committee to the three tribes to find out their intentions. The three tribes explained that their altar was not one of worship but was a memorial of testimony. They wanted their children to know that even if they were east of Jordan, they were linked in close fellowship with the others west of Jordan. It was a rumor that almost led to civil war among the twelve tribes. They won a victory that day because it could have been a point of disastrous incompatibility among the other tribes.

This is a frightening peril. You have seen it and so have I. People often distribute a rumor that has no foundation in fact. The more time that elapses the worse it gets, so that it almost leads to war and a spirit of discontent in the church community. False motives are ascribed and people are judged. Hard feelings develop and a spirit of disruption is the consequence. Be alert to the peril of incompatibility! Galatians 6:1,2

The Peril of the Unintentional

Third, there is the Peril of the Unintentional. 20:1-9

In this short chapter, six cities of refuge were established. When anyone killed someone unintentionally they could flee to one of these cities and take refuge from the avenger of blood. There they could remain until their trial, or the high priest of that day was dead.

James said that in many ways we all offend. Sometimes we do great harm unintentionally to others and it causes many problems among believers. We are constantly grieving the Holy Spirit with our carelessness and haste, or misrepresentation of others. It may not be intentional but it is nevertheless sin in God's sight. When we find that we have wounded someone else we should make it right with the person involved and gets forgiveness from the Lord. Eph. 4:29-32

We can go to the Lord, who is our city of refuge, confess our wrongdoing and be freed of our sin. We are always safe because, Christ, our High priest never dies. When we go to Christ we will find out the truth of God's word and the truth will set us free. 1 John 1:9

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