Joshua was a mighty military soldier who was the aide of
Moses. Moses had complete confidence in
Joshua as he was appointed to lead many battles. Joshua trained under Moses, fellowshipped with
Moses and trusted Moses. He learned the
importance of time with God by watching his mentor and leader. In our passage Moses left the tent after
speaking with God, but Joshua lingered.
I wonder on that day what made him stay behind. What was in his heart that required the
personal precious time with God? Was
there a longing that needed to be settled in his spirit that only God could
accomplish? Although it was during the
workday Joshua chose to lay before God whatever was on his heart…loneliness…fear for the next battle…anxiety
for the future. Whatever Joshua was
feeling he knew that no one outside of that tent could fix it for him. The One who had the answer to his heart
longing was right there with Him.
What is your heart longing for today? Are you expecting others to fill the longing
that only the Presence of God can fill? When
was the last time you truly lingered before God…remained in the holy tent of
His presence? ‘When I
skip such moments, I tend to be less aware of God throughout the day. I miss
divine moments when God wants to meet me or reveal a new facet of His
character. I find myself less sensitive
to the nudges of the Holy Spirit, the sacred echoes that call me to give,
serve, or say that kind word.’ Wonder Struck, p. 48.
Many times God will place a longing or lack of peace in our spirit
to draw us to Him. If we always feel
settled and satisfied we would never see the point of meeting Him in the tent. There would be no reason to linger and
experience His amazing Presence. If we
allow the echoes of our flesh to crowd out the echoes of the Spirit we are no better
for the experience…no gain…no peace. God
uses these times of discontent, searching and feeling all alone to invite us to
linger. ‘We are created for a relationship with God, and that means we’re meant
to experience God’s presence. We need
God’s presence and the awareness of His nearness if we’re going to grow into
the fullness of all God intends. Apart
from His presence, we can begin to convince ourselves that somehow God is
distant; somehow we can handle things on our own.’ Wonder Struck, p. 49.
So take time to linger…this morning, this afternoon and
every tomorrow.
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