Always left out

Joshua 4 is when Joshua leads the Israelites across the Jordan into the promised land. The Levites take the Arc in first - causing the water to divide, and then they wait in the center of the dried-up river while all of Israel marches across. Then God tells Joshua to gather 12 stones for each tribe of Israel and make an altar on the other side of the river.

My first thought is . . . twelve? If you do the math, there's always been thirteen tribes of Israel (Joseph received a double portion - and his two sons each have a tribe.) So the immediate question is - who got left out?

Rest assured it was the Levites, the guys in the middle of the river - holding back the waters and effectively "doing all the work" - and yet, no stone for them. Awww :( If I was a Levite would I be angry? Would I be bitter?

Probably, and yet, in this bitterness a few humbling thoughts just might occur to me - one, as much as it may seem - I am NOT the one holding back the waters. Its God. Second, my "stone," my "reward," my "recompense" is the relationship that my tribe alone shares with God, and if I stop long enough to get over my pride - I realize how incredibly more valuable that is.

How many of us are living like bitter Levites? Doing all the hard work and never getting any of the rewards - the temporary, fleeting rewards (come on... its a big moldy rock.) How many of us fail to realize that there is nothing we accomplish short of God's power and neglect the true, indestructible treasure we have in store for us.

I do.

Land of the Free

"Remove the dross from the silver and out comes material for the silversmith;
remove the wicked from the king's presence, and his throne will be established through righteousness."

Proverbs 25:4-5

Jewish leaders like Moses, Joshua, and David established policies that allowed them to kill wicked men on the spot, insuring that their wickedness could not spread and infect the other jews.

In America however, we sought a land of the free - where men can pursue any religion or belief or lifestyle they want - so long as it does not violate laws. We allow wickedness in many forms to co-exist alongside righteousness and risk the permeation of its ways.

Now, let me clarify, I am in ABSOLUTE support of our Freedom - because, as clear from later Jewish leaders, the heart of man is deceitful - and powerful leaders will eventually use their "absolute authority" to start destroying the righteous.

Our 'religious' freedom is the only thing giving Christianity its right to openness in America. No, I am simply saying; do not be surprised that our God-founded country has been corrupted and seeped with depravity at every level. Sin is like yeast that works thru the whole batch of dough.

We are simply called to resist. . .

Never read blogs.

I just want everyone to know that I am completely opposed to blogging.

I figure, if I'm talking to someone and they tell me all their thoughts - and I tell them none of mine - then when we walk away, I'm twice as smart as they.

Nevertheless. I have thoughts that occasionally fall from my brain and land with a particularly appealing thud on the ground that issues me to presume "hmmm... that's got to be worth something to someone."

So therefore, these blogs are not all to you who reads this - but maybe just one particular person who is meant to hear these thoughts that may or may not prove valuable in my own life.

That said, I hope each and every blog finds its destiny in the mind of those it was thunk for.