WHAT IS YOUR HISTORY?

"JOSHUA THE SON OF NUN, WHO STANDS BEFORE YOU, HE SHALL ENTER THERE; ENCOURAGE HIM, FOR HE SHALL CAUSE ISRAEL TO INHERIT IT." DEUTERONOMY 1:38

Faith is given to us in an instant, but it takes a lifetime to develop, to strenghten, and to mature. Twelve men were sent to spy out the land the Israelites were about to enter. All twelve men were leaders of each of the family tribes of Israel. All twelve had lived through the plagues cast onto Egypt by God, had walked over dry land as they crossed the Red Sea, had drank water from the rock at Horeb when they were thirsty and had eaten manna from heaven when they were hungry. They had each seen and experienced The Lord first hand in action.

These twelve were sent out and for 40 days they walked the land promised to them by God. Ten of the spies came back with a bad report. They looked at the people who were strong and the cities which were fortified and proclaimed, "We are not able to go up against the people." (Numbers 13:31) Then men looked at the circumstances and said no. Two of the spies, however, looked to God and said yes: Joshua and Caleb. Their minority report: "Do not rebel against the Lord, and do not fear the people of the land...their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them." (Numbers 14:9)

The Israelites chose fear instead of faith. They murmured and cried in their tents and then picked up stones to put Joshua and Caleb to death. The popular opinion did not matter, however--only God's vote counted. His glory appeared in the tent of meeting and He rendered His judgment. Joshua and Caleb alone would be the only ones of their generation that would enter the Promised Land. The remaining Israelites twenty and older would wander for 40 years and die in the wilderness for their unbelief.

So how do two men stand up to a nation of two million people, willing to speak the truth and die for believing God and His promises? This was not a momentary act of faith. No, it started before, as mapped out in the life of Joshua. There are three instances that stand out in the life of Joshua as he learned to trust God and grow in Him.

In the first battle after leaving Egypt, Joshua led the army militarily against the Amalekites. The physical battle was mixed with a spiritual battle: when Moses' hands were held high overlooking the battle, the Israelites prevailed. When his arms grew heavy and dropped, however, Amalek prevailed, so Aaron and Hur held Moses' hands up until the battle was won. Joshua experienced the spiritual and the practical played out together in a very important victory.

A second mention of Joshua was when he sat at the foot of the mountain for 40 days while Moses met with God to receive instruction and bring down the Ten Commandments and the Law. It says Joshua went up and went down with Moses, but it does not say that he sat in on the meeting with God and Moses. We do not know what he saw, but we do know that God's glory rested on Mt. Sinai: to Moses it looke like a "midst in the cloud" but to the sons of Israel it looked like "a consuming fire." (Exodus 24:16-17) That means Joshua was faithful to sit and wait. Meanwhile the Israelites were back at camp being unfaithful, building and worshiping a golden calf because God had delayed. No impatience is mentioned for Joshua, however. He was faithful at his post and was exposed to the glory of God and the stories of Moses.

My favorite verse regarding Joshua, however, is found in Exodus 33. It says that Moses would enter the tent of meeting and God would talk with him face to face. All the people would see the pillar of cloud and worship at the entrance of their own tents, but "When Moses would return to the camp, his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent." (Exodus 33:11) In other words, he lingered in God's presence. He could not get enough of God!

This up close and personal walk with the Lord would allow Joshua to later lead the nation of Israel into the Promised Land and believe by faith that God was the victor as He had them cross over the flooded Jordan on dry land and walk around the walls of Jericho to make them tumble down. Joshua never questioned and never flinched at such strange, humanly impossible instructions. This is because he saw life through God's eyes, plus his own eyes had seen and experienced God's power, His glory, and His faithfulness throughout his lifetime.

What about you? What is your story of your walk with God? Where are you building faithfulness day by day, peering in and seeing God for who He really is? After all, your story is really His-story, because "He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) Allow Him to reveal Himself to you by yielding to Him day by day, moment by moment. Believe in the miracles he has set before you today. Walk the journey of faith that Joshua did who, during his lifetime was known as the servant of Moses, but in the end was called "the servant of the Lord." (Joshua 24:29)