Deal With It

Have you ever had a struggle in your life, and it seems like you can never get over it? 

Maybe you gossip, or you overeat, or you are a Negative Nelly, or you have a porn addiction, or you’re a chronic speeder, or you lie a lot, or you are arrogant…I think you can fill in the blank, because chances are high that something already popped into your mind that you struggle with. 

How do you handle this problem? Do you ignore it, hoping it will eventually resolve itself? Do you laugh it off? Do you try to use it to be relatable but never actually deal with it? Do you complain about it and the effects of it, but never try to change it? 

In Joshua 17:13-18 the tribe of Manasseh goes whining to Joshua because they need more land. They ask why he only gave them one plot when God had blessed them to become such a big group of people. They were crowded and uncomfortable. 

And Joshua tells them (paraphrased) “If you’re such a big group of people, go take the land God gave you, if what you have now is too small. Why are you whining to me about it?”

See, they had been strong before, but instead of driving the inhabitants out as God commanded so they could claim their inheritance, they just made them pay tribute. (And you know that isn’t going to turn out well.) And now they were complaining about their own choices, like it was Joshua’s problem. 

After Joshua tells them to get moving, they reveal the reason they didn’t take the land: the people living there have chariots of iron. 

I’m afraid this has happened to me, too. I have an issue or problem, and I complain about how much I dislike it, how it’s hindering me, how I’m uncomfortable because of it. And a friend (or even the Lord) will speak truth into my life, and instead of agreeing and walking forward in faith and the power of God, I tell them how powerful this thing is (like it has chariots of iron). And perhaps I even think I have it under control and convince myself it benefits me (like it pays me tribute in some way). 

See, sometimes I forget that God is all-powerful, and lives within me! I forget that His strength is available to me- so instead of making progress, I make excuses. It’s so much easier to stay where I am and just say I can’t help it, than to walk forward in confidence with Christ to overcome. 

Laziness spiritually will keep me captive to sin every time. 

But I love how Joshua boosts their confidence. In vs. 17-18 he tells them (paraphrased) “You ARE a great people and have great power. You WILL overcome them even though they have chariots of iron, and even though they are strong.”

See, God gave them the promise that they would have the land. But He didn’t just give the land to them. They had to put forth the effort to obtain it. They had to trust that God would go before them and help them. 

Joshua has fought a lot of battles to this point, and even defeated the giants that scared the original 10 spies back in the day, and caused them to make a bad report. And now this tribe is complaining about chariots of iron. 

We can’t forget that God has given us power. His power is alive and well in us through His Holy Spirit. So no matter what we’re facing, no matter how strong it seems, God has promised us abundant life in Him. That will probably not look like riches and plenty and ease, but it certainly looks like freedom. 

1 John 2:16-17
(16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
(17) And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 

Doing the will of God (confessing and forsaking sin being part of that) gives life!! The things we are enamored by, or overcome by at the moment will fade away, and we’ll be left with nothing. But walking in freedom in the power of Christ gives us life eternal that will never fade away. 

It isn’t easy, and many times I need accountability to keep moving forward. But I rest in the power and promise of God that He will help me get the victory! But I have to be willing to take those steps in His strength.