Back to Joshua, it’s kind of fun because Joshua and Nehemiah are the only two “success” books I know of in the Bible. They had a goal, and they met the goal.

The Israelites fought battles beginning with Jericho in chapter 6 and ending in chapters 10 and 11:

Joshua took the whole country: hills, desert, foothills, and mountain slopes, including all kings. He left no survivors. He carried out the holy curse on everything that breathed, just as GOD, the God of Israel, had commanded. Joshua’s conquest stretched from Kadesh Barnea to Gaza and from the entire region of Goshen to Gibeon. Joshua took all these kings and their lands in a single campaign because GOD, the God of Israel, fought for Israel. (Joshua 10.40 – 42, MSG)

Joshua took the whole region. He did everything that GOD had told Moses. Then he parceled it out as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribes. And Israel had rest from war. (Joshua 11.23, MSG)

All the defeated kings are listed in chapter 12, and then they start parceling out the land to the tribes in chapter 13 which starts:

When Joshua had reached a venerable age, GOD said to him, “You’ve had a good, long life, but there is a lot of land still to be taken. (Joshua 13.1, MSG)

Wait! I thought they took it all. But it turns out there are always battles to fight, and I want to write about one tomorrow.

In the meantime, let’s not give in to the idea that there will be a time or a place when we can just “kick back.” Not “one and done” referring to kids who play college ball for one year before turning pro or to teams who go to the NCAA basketball tournament and lose their first game, but “won and done” – we won! Now we can rest.

C.S. Lewis addresses this misconception in the essay “The Sermon and the Lunch.” It’s a short read – strongly recommend. He’s talking about whether or not “home” is a refuge where one can just “be ourselves” – in the language of today’s blog, “Let’s relax because there are no battles to fight.” Nope:

How, then, are people to behave at home? If a man can’t be comfortable and unguarded, can’t take his ease and “be himself” in his own house, where can he? That is, I confess, the trouble. The answer is an alarming one. There is nowhere this side of heaven where one can safely lay the reins on the horse’s neck. It will never be lawful simply to “be ourselves” until “ourselves” have become sons of God. – C.S. Lewis, “The Sermon and the Lunch”

I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made…By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward—to Jesus. I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back. So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us. (Philippians 3.12 – 15, MSG)