Drop It and Move Forward

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There is still a lot of work to be done, but Joshua and the Hebrews have entered Canaan. The land has been divided among the tribes, cities of refuge have been designated and the Levites have been assigned their towns. At the end of Joshua 21 comes this wonderful summary statement:

“So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their forefathers, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their forefathers. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord handed all their enemies over to them. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled” (Joshua 21:43-45).

It’s the end. God has kept His word and brought them to the place He had promised to bring them.

It’s the beginning. A new page. A fresh start.

Certainly they brought some “baggage” with them. Some things can’t be parked at the door of opportunity. They are who they are—at times rebellious, with unresolved issues. But they have a chance to change, to begin again. What will they do with this relatively clean page?

We know the answer to that question. But let’s pretend we don’t. Let’s pretend it’s us. It’s a new day. It’s a fresh start. God has brought us here. He has kept His promises. He has been faithful.

Now what?

We still have “baggage” that we haven’t been able to park at the door. Maybe it’s time to confess it, renounce it, and drop it. For those things beyond our control to “fix” perhaps we need to hand the heavy part of the burden over to the One who shares the greater part of our yoke in life—Jesus—and let Him carry those burdens so that we can take full advantage of a clean page. The Lord invites us to “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).


It's still a burden of sorts, but lighter when we let Him carry the heavier weight.

We take ourselves onto the new page, knowing that we are who we are. But the good news is that God remains who HE is—faithful. To get us here He has been faithful. To take us beyond here, He will continue to be faithful.

Drop the load and move forward into your promised land.