Journal keeping and prayer lists

Joshua 12:1–13:32, 2 Corinthians 11:7–15, Psalm 52:1–53:6

After reading the Bible through each year for several years, I still want to skip the genealogies and long lists of names and places. However, this morning God showed me something I’d not seen before. This passage in Joshua is a list of conquered tribes and kings, and the allotment of their land to the people of God . . .

“Now these are the kings of the land whom the people of Israel defeated and took possession of their land beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise, from the Valley of the Arnon to Mount Hermon, with all the Arabah eastward . . . . And these are the kings of the land whom Joshua and the people of Israel defeated on the west side of the Jordan, from Baal-gad in the Valley of Lebanon to Mount Halak . . . .” (Joshua 12:1,7)

Other than writing down who owned what parcel of land, these records seem of little importance, but what if they were considered journals? What if a church or each Christian kept a journal recording their victories in Christ? What if this journal was read at regular intervals? Wouldn’t that be an encouragement? Re-reading these victories would also be a reminder so when the same temptations and problems came up again (and they do), conquering them would be easier.

The next attention-getting verses don’t offer the same positive results, at least at first. They say, “Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, ‘You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess. This is the land that yet remains . . . .’” (Joshua 13:1–2)

For Joshua, this was a to-do list. God told him to rout the evil out of their land, but much of that land remained as it was before. He needed to spur his people to action. Some of them became complacent, or didn’t see the dangers posed by these tribes, or had other reasons for not wanting to engage in war against their enemies.

Although I’ve done this on a very limited basis, this reminded me of taking time to write a list of problem areas, things that continually trip me up, and issues the Bible calls besetting sins. Those are “land yet to be conquered” and need a determined effort. Since I know that Jesus is my Savior and I cannot save myself, this list has to be a prayer list. After praying about a particular temptation, or about any persistent sin, God has a way of cleansing it out of my life. Sometimes I’ve given my list to my husband and he intercedes for me also.

The NT reading and the one from Psalm 52 gave me a couple items to put on that prayer list. The first one is specific, but the root of it takes a backhand to my pride: “Did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached God’s gospel to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you.” (2 Corinthians 11:7–8) I’m not preaching, but I do have a problem in some areas with humbling myself so others can be exalted.

The psalmist begins with another challenge: “Why do you brag of evil, ‘Big Man’? God’s mercy carries the day.” (Psalm 52:1, The Message). While I rarely brag of evil, I do like to brag. Pride again, but this verse convicts me. I may not be bragging about evil, but in bragging about anything, the bragging becomes an evil. Another item for my prayer list.

The third one is from these verses: “But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever. I will thank you forever, because you have done it. I will wait for your name, for it is good, in the presence of the godly.” (Psalm 52:8–9)

Trusting God’s love is easier than being continually thankful for it. I’m not sure Satan keeps whispering his original lie to me (God doesn’t really love you) and I buy it, or if I take God for granted, or what is going on, but I suspect by persisting in prayer about this need to express gratitude will be God’s way of getting to the root of it.

My line from the sky

Joshua 12:1–13:32, 2 Corinthians 11:7–15, Psalm 52:1–53:6

Last night’s dream was vivid and related to reality. I was climbing a mountain with a few other people. The face of the mountain was steep and fairly smooth, difficult to get a handhold. As we neared the top, ice coated much of the rock. Finally we reached the last 15 feet or so, and it was straight up and covered with ice. We could see that the peak was level. It even had some vegetation growing there, but it was impossibly out of reach. We rested on a small ledge. Going back down never entered our heads. Then, high in the sky a helicopter appeared. It dropped a line with a body sling on the end. At that point, I woke up.

I’ve 1.5 weeks left in my last course and will graduate after that. The end is not impossibly out of reach, but it is difficult. My only hope is a line from the sky, not from a helicopter, but from the Lord God.

I wonder if Joshua felt like that when he led his army to began conquest of the Promised Land. Today’s reading describes the battles. Of one it says, “They came out with all their troops, a great horde, in number like the sand that is on the seashore, with very many horses and chariots. And all these kings joined their forces and came and encamped together . . .  to fight against Israel.” However, in the next verse the Lord says, “Do not be afraid of them, for tomorrow at this time I will give over all of them, slain, to Israel.”

This was Joshua’s line from the sky, and “So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the Lord had spoken to Moses. And Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war.” (Joshua 11:4-6, 23)

For me, the past couple of years have been a battle. It was not about conquering the lesson material, or writing exams and term papers. The battleground was some areas of my life exposed by intense Bible study. God was going deep and I am still surprised by the deception of the enemy who held me oblivious to many selfish ideas and by the resistance in my heart to give them up.

The NT reading is about the devil’s deception too. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth and says, “I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:1–3)

That entire church was in a spiritual war and from what Paul wrote in 1 and 2 Corinthians, it appears they didn’t realize the danger. They were up on a mountain without any hand or footholds and oblivious to their problems. Paul had much to say to them about their sinful attitudes.

David also had a sin problem. He took another man’s wife and had the man murdered. David knew that his sin began in his heart so he prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Jesus affirms David’s thoughts by saying in the NT that our heart is the source of sin. God’s people need to think like God if we are going to serve Him well and with integrity. We need His attitudes in our hearts.

Bible study challenges the heart. It can find things tough to overcome, like climbing a steep mountain. David knew he needed a line from the sky, and I also know that. He prayed, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.” (Psalm 51:10, 12–13)

My prayer is like David’s in some ways. Yet I am also in a resting place, at least for a little while. Certainly I’ll not reach the summit without God. Certainly that diploma is not the end of this battle. God will work toward transforming my life until Jesus drops down His line from the sky to take me out of this world and into His eternal dwelling place.