"But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you; to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul." -- Joshua 22:5

The scene above occurs after Joshua has brought the Israelites into the Promised Land, defeated all enemies, and who are experiencing peace and prosperity.  He is telling the people that they have accomplished the mission God has given them, and God is pleased.  He basically goes on to say (these are my words), "Okay, you have a good thing here.  Don't blow it.  Remember the rules and don't mess it up for everybody or it won't be good for you.  Got it?"  It won't stay restful forever, and as we know from this side of the story, later generations will  forget and fall away.

So much of what we do, we seem to approach with a sense of permanence.  That is, we kid ourselves into thinking that our works will last beyond us.  Some will, but most won't.  The Israelites may have thought that they had reached a place of utopia and that it would now be heaven on earth.  Their long awaited and worked-for goal had been complete.  Now it was happy ever after, right?  But people forget...

Can you think of the names of the Secretaries of Education during the Presidential Administrations of the twentieth century?  I didn't think so.  Neither can I.  However, I use that as an illustration to indicate that we can be elevated to very high positions and do very important work, but to think that we will be remembered or that our lessons will be heeded... that's wishful thinking.  Our work may be important, and may have lasting effect.  In fact, we want timeless impact, and we should strive for it.  But most of our living will impact the day in which we live.  So enjoy the peace you have today, and if your life is in turmoil, understand peace will one day come to you.  Just remember the rules whatever your situation:  love God and be good to each other.  At least we've come to remember that over the generations.  Haven't we?

Readings:  Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalms 89:1-13; Proverbs 13:15-16

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life." -- Proverbs 13:12

Third day straight to select a verse from Proverbs.  I wonder if I'm seeking wisdom...  this verse is especially timely, as I'm reminded that life is short, and dreams not acted upon wither faster than life itself.  If you have a longing, a dream, a vision, ask yourself what keeps you from realizing it.  We live in a time like no other when it comes to being able to be and do... what is your dream?  The writer of this proverb speaks profound truth when he shares the understanding that longings (dreams) fulfilled are what make life worth living.  Some would even say, its not in the fulfillment of the dream as much as it is in the pursuit of it that makes life rich.  So many of us live day to day in fear of losing what we have, that we fail to reach for something greater.  To reach and grab a new thing requires releasing our grip on the familiar, the steady, the predictable... it means to carve out a new reality.  For some, that idea is so threatening that it just seems safer to hold onto the life they know, even though they live day in and day out dreaming of a different life.  What do you want in life?  What would happen if you got it?  What does God want for you in life?  What would happen if you got it?  Just what, after all, are you afraid of?

Readings:  Joshua 19:1-20:9; Luke 19:28-48; Psalms 88:1-18; Proverbs 13:12-14

"Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow." -- Proverbs 13:11

If you ask someone in their 80's and 90's what they wished they would have done more over the course of their life, many of them say things like "spend more time with the ones I love" or "take more chances"... some say what younger mid-lifers often say, and that's "save more money".  I tell my kids to give and save... I was told the same thing.  But having information on what to do doesn't make us automatically do it.  It takes practice and discipline.  Many swing for the fences with their finances.  Entrepreneurs, speculators, and many who achieve high levels of financial success have a different appetite for risk than the general population.  They swing and they hit some, and miss some.  Then there are those who come by wealth dishonestly.  This way of accumulation warps the relationship with money because it's not seen as a tool to do good, but instead to satisfy every desire one has for oneself.  When we understand that we are stewards-- caretakers-- of what God has entrusted to us, we view money a little differently.  The way to growing it is by planting little by little over time, and growing it slowly.  This is your money tree.  Take risk and speculate with other monies if that is your calling, but do not be dishonest in your business dealings.  In all things, including the area of your finances, seek the will of God and be faithful on the journey.

Readings:  Joshua 16:1-18:28; Luke 19:1-27; Psalms 87:1-7; Proverbs 13:11

"Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice." -- Proverbs 13:10

How many arguments, debates, and even fights occur because our perceived need to be right?  How much time is spent trying to make sure we are understood verses trying to make sure we understand others?  When those around us who are wise give us advice, we should listen-- not feel a need to convince them otherwise.  We can take the advice or leave it, but there's often little point to fighting it.  If you want peace in your life, humble your spirit, check your anger, and open your ears.  Seek to empathize with others, and get thee out of the center of the universe.  Your life will be the better for it!

Readings:  Joshua 15:1-63; Luke 18:18-43; Psalms 86:1-17; Proverbs 13:9-10

"Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other. Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven. The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps." -- Psalms 85:1-13

It's like the chicken and the egg... which comes first: love or faithfulness?   Righteousness or peace?  It's a bit of a conundrum, but we should seek them all as they are intertwined as tight as a woven sheet.  When we love, we are being righteous.  When we are authentically righteous (as opposed to behaving a certain way out of guilt or fear), we are being so out of faithfulness.  When we love, we seek peace.  When we seek peace, we do so for love's sake.  So what comes first?  Who cares... carry these with you at all times and ask yourself, what God is calling you to do in every situation in which you find yourself.  Love God, and these will follow naturally... hmmm... maybe we just found our answer and it's not such a riddle after all...

Readings: Joshua 13:1-14:15; Luke 18:1-17; Psalms 85:1-13; Proverbs 13:7-8

"Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you.'" -- Luke 17:20-21

Over the course of the last half of a century, the notion of "kingdom-building" has been very popular in Christian circles.  It has meant different things according to various takes on it by different denominations.  Some see it as soul-saving, others see it as an issue of justice.  Some view it as giving to the poor, some see it as teaching the poor to pray.  I have viewed it in a more holistic way as a reflection of when we pray the Lord's Prayer and say, "...thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven".  That is, in all circumstances we should consider God's will, and align ourselves accordingly with it.  When the choices we make are in alignment with God's desire, then we are experiencing "kingdom living". While that's my take on it and the way I've interpreted this idea of "kingdom of God", Jesus is clear in Luke that the kingdom doesn't come as an outside experience to view objectively.  No, the kingdom is within us.  Remember-- God is love.  When we reside in love, we reside in God's kingdom.

Readings:  Joshua 11:1-12:24; Luke 17:11-37; Psalms 84:1-12; Proverbs 13:5-6

"The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied." -- Proverbs 13:4

This is classic and timeless proverbial teaching.  How many stories across time can you think of that has this theme?  It has always been in humanity's best interest to work and prepare.  When we were an agrarian society, if you didn't chop wood; salt, dry, and can food; sew warm clothing; etc... when winter came you would die.  Then it was life and death.  Today, shelter and cheap food is plentiful, and we don't face the same risk.  But there is a different risk-- not living.  The easiest thing to do today is to work a job and after hours live a sedentary life in front of a screen.  Your mind thinks it's engaging... through fantasy you live vicariously through the characters you watch and say to yourself, "I wish my life were like that"... and then a couple shows later, you yawn, and fall asleep... Get up the next day, repeat, all the while wishing for a different life.  Your life is uniquely yours.  May you find your passion and a creative outlet where you produce original work.  You don't have to be famous, rich, or the best in the wold, but if you find your thing, and get lost in it, you will crave for nothing else.  In your creative diligence, you will be fully satisfied.

Readings: Joshua 9:3-10:43; Luke 16:19-17:10; Psalms 83:1-18; Proverbs 13:4