DAY 79

MAYBE IT IS REALLY THE PLAN?

Joshua 4, 5 & 6 and Luke 1:1-20

Wow, there is much in our readings today: here is a thumbnail sketch:

·         Israel crossed the Jordan, in fact the river stops flowing, and they set up a memorial – standing stones!

·         The men are circumcised (apparently this practice fell into disuse)

·         They eat the produce of the land. Think about this for a moment. For forty years they have been eating manna. Now they will have to eat the produce of the land.

·         Joshua meets the Commander of the Lord’s Army, it has the overtones of a “burning bush” moment – “take off your sandals” we read.

·         The story of John the Baptist being conceived is told complete with the Angel Gabriel and a father who will be unable to talk for nine months!

Sometimes there is a lot going on not only in the Bible, but also in our lives. How do you do when there is a lot going on? Can I be honest? On a good day I am like a duck. I try to be calm on the surface, but underneath I am paddling like crazy. On a day that is not so good I let the stress get the best of me and it shows.

I bring up stress because I am trying to put myself in these peoples situation. Re-read the thumbnail sketch above and consider whether the main characters were a little stressed. I mentioned the priests yesterday being the “first ones in”, but consider the people, they are going in to invade a country – “a wee bit of stress”. Then getting circumcised – I am not even going there. Then the people have to learn how to gather and cook food they have never eaten. It has been 40 years of manna and quail. Can they even tell the difference between poison ivy and spinach?

We move from broad people groups to two specific people: Joshua and Zechariah. Joshua might have been wondering if he was hallucinating when he saw the Commander of the Lord’s Army. He has a lot of responsibility. It is maybe his second or third day “in office” and the plan is to march around the city. Picture what he might be saying to himself! Then there is Zechariah; we hear what “he is saying” because he does not keep it to himself – the result – Mute!

And yet…and yet in each instance God’s plan prevailed. We know (and will read about shortly) that Zechariah will have a son, John the Baptist – and get his voice back.  We know that the people will learn how to work the land. We know that the Israelites will go into battle and succeed. We know that the people get across the river.

God’s plan prevails.

And maybe that is the lesson. Amid all the stress the people were experiencing; all the doubt, the confusion, and more…God’s plan prevails.

Ultimately that is the point of God directing a monument be erected. God says to erect “standing stones”. Standing Stones are found in the Middle East in archaeological sites. They were erected to commemorate an event. People in their travels would come upon these stones and ask, “What happened here?” Then the story would get told about all that had happened, and in this case, all that God had done!

Which brings me to another section of Scripture: did you know that you and I are to be Standing Stones – in fact Living Stones? We are suppose to live our lives, full of all the stress we have, full of all the questions, sometimes paddling away, and people are to look at us and ask, “What happened here?”

So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:1-5.