right is not always easy

I'm still journeying through my chronological Bible reading ... tomorrow's day #88.  Pretty proud of 3 months of reading the Old Testament. I'll be honest ... I get the readings all in there, but not usually on exactly the "right" day.   Now, if I could just run for 88 days straight??!!  or eat healthy for 88 days straight.  I STINK at self discipline ... baby steps, I suppose.

Anyways, I was catching up on some of Joshua tonight and was struck with the reality that this whole getting to the Promised Land thing ... you know, the amazing place God gave them, well, it was just not easy.

I get it ... they complained.  A. Lot.  They screwed up.  A. Lot.  We had to wait for the generation that left Egypt to die off ... but they're gone.  And God has appointed Joshua to lead.  And he said "Go.  Take YOUR land."  And by that, what He meant, was go kill everyone off so you can have what I promised you.  Hmmmm ... I don't think it's just me who was struggling here.  In Joshua 7, Joshua says,  “Oh, oh, oh . . . Master, God. Why did you insist on bringing this people across the Jordan? To make us victims of the Amorites? To wipe us out? Why didn’t we just settle down on the east side of the Jordan? Oh, Master, what can I say after this, after Israel has been run off by its enemies? When the Canaanites and all the others living here get wind of this, they’ll gang up on us and make short work of us—and then how will you keep up your reputation?”

What he didn't know at that point is that some people had been disobedient and God wasn't having it.  But still ... there's a lot of work going on here for what God could have just handled.  And did you see what Joshua did there??  "And then how will you keep up your reputation?"  Ever done that??  I mighthaveonceortwicemaybe ... told God that He'd look pretty cool if He came through with something amazing I needed wanted! :-)

In Joshua 13, God actually concedes the same, the this thing has gone on long enough thing, telling Joshua, you've lived a long life, but there's still a lot of land to procure here. So, God does it ... HE drives out the people and Joshua parcels out the land.

And Joshua 14:15 tells us, "And the land had rest from war."  I feel like there was one big collective sigh (kind of like that last day of school ... it kind of feels the same to me!)

So, here's what I'm getting at.  Following God is not easy.  I think so often we think that if we are in God's will, following Him, being obedient, that life just floats along problem free or at least 99% easy street.  If we are doing the right thing, if we are being the right person, it's easy.

But, it's not.  Even when we are in the midst of God fulfilling His promises, it can be stinkin' hard.  I'm sure, even after crossing the Jordan with feet finally turned toward Canaan that Joshua had to wonder.  What in the world?  I wonder some days where that easy road is ... the one that leads to the Promised Land ... rather than the one that feels like the one way to Strugglesville.

And it's both/and ... the way to the Promised Land IS often the one way to Strugglesville.  I don't always like it, but the reality is that God didn't promise to make it easy, He just promised to never leave us alone ... not alone even for one minute on that road.  He didn't say, come follow me and I'll make your life easier ... He said, the one who lays down his life will gain it.  And in the end, I'd rather go to battle WITH Him than sit beach side alone.