I don't want to be like the Israelites!

This morning I was reading the book of Joshua. Basically, the Israelites are entering the promised land of Canaan under Joshua's leadership (Moses' successor after the 40 years of wandering in the desert due to the Israelites' disobedience). Joshua is in the process of relating to the 12 different tribes of Israel which land will be their inheritance. The thing is, only 5 tribes have been given their allotment. The other seven tribes were apparently in no hurry to settle down. They were, afterall, accustomed to being a nomadic people. Rather than drive out the Canaanites as God had told them, they instead decided to trade with them. That's a whole lot easier than actually obeying what God commanded by driving them out and actually having to work to provide for themselves, right? All this brings me to the verse that stuck out to me. Jsohua 17:3 says: "And Joshua said to the Israelites, 'How long will you wait before you begin to take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you'?" There are so many times when I read through the books of the Old Testament where I think to myself how these Israelites seem like a pretty dense, stubborn, disobedient bunch of folks. I mean, God spoke to them, provided for their every need, miraculously delivered them out of Egypt, miraculously provided for them while they wandered in the desert, and they STILL disobeyed him at nearly every turn. Why would they reject the land that God provided them with, the very land he intended to bless them with? Why on earth would the outright reject living in God's plan and instead willfully choose to wander about and engage in the very culture that would corrupt their focus on the Lord? What's with these people?

And almost as soon as I start to think this way, I'm nearly always convicited of just how much my own life resembles theirs. I haven't melted all my gold and fashioned it into a goat and worshipped it, but if I think that means I've never bowed down to an idol, that would be a lie. Time and again, I turn aside from worshipping the one true King in favor of worshiping the gods of comfort, self-centeredness, money, and even my husband and children. This is problematic. Psalm 63:3 says, "Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you." God's love is better than life itself. Any substitute for God will leave me in a wasteland of hope deferred and longing unfulfilled. Once again, I'm reminded of my need to make God first and foremost in my life. Lord, I will wait no longer to enter the land that you have provided for me: the land of your holy presence and perfect peace. You alone can truly satisfy the longings in my heart.